Islamabad, Nov 4 (NationPress) Girls in the Upper Kohistan region of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing significant challenges as nearly 60 percent of primary and middle schools are closed due to a lack of teachers, high absenteeism, and various administrative issues, according to local media reports on Tuesday.

During a surprise inspection at the office of the District Education Officer (women), it was discovered that both the officer and most staff members were absent. Additional Deputy Commissioner Khurram Khan Jadoon shared these findings with reporters, as reported by Dawn, one of Pakistan's leading dailies.

The inspection was carried out following orders from Deputy Commissioner Tariq Ali Khan, who will compile a detailed report for the commissioner of the Hazara division and subsequently to the chief secretary for appropriate legal and administrative action.

Jadoon expressed concern, stating, "The DEO was absent from her office, and the condition of her office was disheartening. I have submitted a thorough report outlining the shortcomings in the women's education department for necessary corrective measures."

Highlighting the alarming state of girls' education in Upper Kohistan, he noted, "The entire district has only one high school for girls." Out of the 111 government primary and middle schools for girls, only 48 are operational while the remainder are either closed or inactive.

In total, 354 teaching posts have been sanctioned in Upper Kohistan, yet only 106 positions are filled, leaving 248 vacancies that deny hundreds of girls their constitutional right to education, Jadoon mentioned. Additionally, only two out of eight sanctioned posts for Sub-Divisional Education Officers have been filled.

Earlier this month, reports indicated that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had effectively halted a program providing stipends to girl students in government schools, failing to distribute funds over the past three years.

This stipend program, initiated by the provincial government after the elections in 2008, aimed to retain enrolled girls, enhance attendance, and reduce dropout rates, as reported by Dawn.

Sources from the elementary and secondary education department revealed that approximately 3.8 billion Pakistani Rupees (PKR) is needed annually to provide stipends to 600,000 eligible girl students in the province. However, the necessary documentation for fund release has been circulating between the finance and education departments for the last three years.

Previously, PKR 200 was disbursed to each girl from grades six to ten under this program. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has not issued these stipends since the 2022-23 academic year.