Ghost schools continue to haunt education sector

[LRE]

Ghost schools continue to haunt education sector



Thursday, October 09, 2008
By Qadeer Tanoli

Karachi

Despite several efforts to minimise number of ghost schools and ghost teachers in the public sector, things have not improved and as such these schools are a mere burden on the national exchequer.

There exist many schools in the city where not even a single student is getting education. However the staff of such schools draws salaries regularly every month.

Interestingly enough, the number of schools in Union Council (UC)-8, Gaboput of Keamari Town, is larger than any other UC of Karachi. Here 38 schools are functioning under the administrative control of the office of the Assistant District Officer (ADO) Education (Male) Keamari Town.

At the same time while this large number of schools reflects a “love for education” on the part of the authorities concerned, it also reveals serious criminal negligence as seven schools out of these 38 are not functioning at all for a very long period. In fact these schools were declared ghost schools by ADO Ghulam Shabeer Malah last September.

It is learnt that on several occasions inspection teams visited these schools and found them non-functional. Despite this, however, the staff of such schools is not being transferred to functioning schools.

The schools which are not functioning and have been declared ghost schools include the Government Boys’ Primary School (GBPS), Hawkesbay; GBPS, Abdul Rehman; GBPS, Haji Gulzar Goth; GBPS, Kaka Chaqra; GBPS, Peryo Kachhallo; GBPS, Soomar Goth; and GBPS, Mauch Goth. The buildings of such schools exist, and staff draw salaries, but there are no students.

Former Executive District Officer (EDO) Fakhar Karim had demanded the record of these schools on November 14, 2007, from the authorities concerned but no concrete step has been taken to make them functional.

Mehanaz, from the Government Lower Secondary School, UC-3, Keamari Town, has another interesting story to tell. Seven staff members have been appointed at this school, where not a single student is enrolled. The teachers in this school generally remain absent and just a few of them turn up at the school. However, the Chowkidar, Gul Mohammad, and the peon, Aslam, are punctual regarding their duties. Three students were admitted in the school recently but due to the continuous absence of the teachers they also left. Interestingly, 323 students are getting education in the same school at the primary level during the morning shift.

Recently, Atma Lal, the son of the Malir Town ADO, was admitted to this school despite the fact that no student is getting education here. Lal, however, did not join the schools due to reasons which have not been disclosed. Another school of the Keamari Town, UC-3, Noor Ghas Bandar-2, is also a ghost school. A staff of five members is appointed at the school but no student is enrolled here in the second shift. The building of the school consists of one room.

Corrupt practices in education are not limited to ghost schools. There are several teachers in Keamari Town who are paid regularly but are not appointed in any school. According to sources the number of such teachers in the town is around 35.

Through an order, DDE/ELM (M) (7683-85), dated September 26, 2008, 13 teachers have been transferred from schools whose buildings were declared dangerous. Interestingly there is no mention of students who were being taught at such schools. According to the letter these transfers have been made on the verbal instructions of the education minister.

It has been learnt through reliable sources that six appointments out of these 13 are bogus and the remaining seven belong to those teachers who don’t want to work.

It has also come to light that teachers who work at ghost schools or who deliberately avoid their duties, generally pay some share of their salaries to the authorities concerned.

Executive District Officer (EDO) Ibrahim Kumbhar told The News, howeverm that he had no previous complaints regarding ghost schools which have been mentioned in the story. He said he would take strict action against the elements responsible as soon as he gets some proof of ghost schools or ghost teachers. He also promised to issue directives to the District Officer, Education, to conduct an inquiry against ghost schools or ghost teachers, if they exist.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=140040