Pakistan: Waziristan girls demand teachers, threaten wider agitation

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan] August 29 (ANI): In Waziristan, a group of schoolgirls staged a protest demanding the immediate recruitment of teachers in their institutions. Carrying placards that read "Education is our right" and "Don't ruin our future," the students highlighted how a severe shortage of female staff has left their school on the brink of collapse.
According to The Express Tribune, the middle section of the school is functioning without a single teacher, while just two female instructors are responsible for handling all primary-level classes. Parents and elders of the community say the crisis has made regular learning impossible.
Locals accused the Education Office (Female), Upper Waziristan, of poor planning and negligence. They strongly objected to the policy of shifting teachers from running schools to those that remain non-functional, describing it as a move that has worsened the educational breakdown rather than fixing it, as cited by The Express Tribune.
"Our daughters put on their uniforms and go to school each morning, but they return without attending a single proper class," a parent stated. "We are too poor to send them to private schools. If officials remain silent, our children's future will be destroyed."
Education officers often pressure parents to stop raising their voices. Tribal elder also emphasised that female education is vital for development, urging the government to act swiftly: "If our girls learn, the whole community benefits. This issue must not be ignored any longer."
The protesting girls issued a warning that unless teachers are appointed quickly, they will spread demonstrations across both Upper and South Waziristan and may even suspend classes in all girls' schools.
Over 250 schools in North and South Waziristan are completely non-functional, with girls' institutions suffering the most. Enrolment rates remain shockingly low, with just 22 per cent of girls in primary school and fewer than seven per cent continuing to middle or high levels, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Education activists fear that unless the government intervenes immediately, the fragile system in Waziristan could collapse altogether, silencing the hope of learning for thousands of young girls. (ANI)