Absence of bachelor’s programs and transportation make female students struggle to continue their studies
JUST:
More than 600,000 residents of Bara tehsil in Khyber tribal district have access to only one government girls’ school, yet the institution is plagued by a severe lack of basic facilities, higher education, transport and security, forcing many female students to abandon their studies or compromise their ambitions.
Students, parents and local elders have strongly urged the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government and the higher education department to immediately introduce four-year BS programmes, establish modern laboratories, provide official transport and ensure permanent faculty so that girls in the area are not deprived of higher education.
Najma Abdullah, an Associate Degree (AD) Urdu student at Government Girls Degree College Bara and a resident of Malik Din Khel, told The Express Pakinomist that the absence of college transport has forced her to live in her grandmother’s house near the college because her home is too far away.
She said she had originally enrolled in the microbiology program three years ago, but the program was scrapped due to non-affiliation, resulting in the loss of three precious academic years. Najma wanted to pursue BS Biology but had to settle for AD Urdu because there are no science programs available in the college.
“There is no dearth of talent among the girls in Bara, but poverty, transport problems and lack of higher education facilities force most students to drop out midway,” she said.
Najma also called for government buses to ferry students, noting that many girls travel long distances on foot, which is not only exhausting but also unsafe.
Another student, Sonia Abdul Jaleel, said that while some problems have been partially addressed since the college’s establishment, core problems persist, including the lack of proper science labs, furniture, ventilators and adequate security.
Sonia added that the absence of a playground is another major concern of the students.
Asma Batool, a student from Orakzai district who also wanted to study BS Computer Science, echoed similar complaints. “There is no official pick-and-drop facility and due to the overall security situation in the area, both students and parents feel insecure,” she said.
According to sources, at least 20 students are required to start a BS program in any subject. Currently, the college runs only an Associate Degree in Arts (Urdu) with 20 students, while 382 girls are enrolled in first and second year combined.
College administration officials said the biggest obstacle in starting BS programs is the lack of BS-level laboratories and necessary infrastructure. The existing labs were provided under a higher education project, but full-fledged BS programs require dedicated, modern labs for computer science, biology, chemistry and other subjects.
When contacted for comments, MPA and Chairman District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) Khyber Abdul Ghani Afridi said the college was earlier running under a PMU project but its regular SNA has now been approved. He said that permanent recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff including lecturers, class IV staff, drivers and accounting staff will be completed soon.
Afridi added that the solarization of the college has been completed and the furniture has been delivered. Any remaining deficiencies will be remedied with priority. He assured that all necessary steps are being taken to launch four-year BS programmes, including provision of necessary laboratories and other facilities.
Regarding transportation, he said that efforts are being made to provide university buses. For security reasons, instructions have been issued to the District Police Officer Khyber to increase the police force in the college.
“The government is committed to make the Government Girls Degree College Bara a standard educational institution so that the daughters of the area can acquire higher education in a safe and conducive environment,” the MPA said.
