Traditional Barrier

A case study of Landikotal to depict the dismal state of girls' education in the seven tribal agencies...

There are virtually no educational facilities for women in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), though successive governments have made tall claims in this regard. Even though FATA has been the focus of the national and international media during the last seven years, nothing has been done to promote education in the seven tribal agencies.
The extent of the government's inability to develop women education in the area could be gauged from the example of Khyber Agency where many girl students like to get education but there is no support from the government. The basic problem in the area is lack of schools and colleges besides the absence of qualified staff. Landikotal, a known town in Khyber Agency, lying in close proximity to the provincial metropolis, had only one girls' higher secondary school to cater to a population of 350,000. This school, which was initially established as a primary school was upgraded to a middle school in 1969, to matriculation in 1975 and to higher secondary in 2003. There are 846 students in the school; the students' strength is higher in grades one to eight, but low in higher classes.
Authentic data of an education survey unfortunately shows that every year only one percent of girls manage to reach graduation level due to lack of facilities, strict Pakhtun environment, poverty and un-availability of degree and postgraduate colleges in Landikotal.
Those girls who want to pursue their education either shift to Peshawar or to other cities after passing intermediate; however, this depends on their families' economic conditions.
Female teachers are mostly hired from Peshawar and other districts of the NWFP due to non-availability of locally trained and qualified teachers. Those who are teaching are facing problems ranging from inconvenient transport, boarding and lodging to being grossly underpaid.
"We face problems in school attendance, and we don't receive our salaries on time," says Zahida, a senior certified teacher. "Given the tribal environment, the government should provide us with separate vehicles and other facilities including security, as many a time I have received verbal threats from local tribesmen for coming alone to the schools in public transport, because Pakhtuns do not tolerate that women come out of houses alone," she says.
Zahida is of the opinion that it is impossible for men to teach at a girls' school in the tribal areas. "Pakhtun culture does not allow male teachers in girls' schools. Our school lacks staff. There are no teachers to teach the subjects of Physics, Urdu, History, Pakistan Studies, Civics, Computer Science and Chemistry," she says.
The teachers of the school also say there is no librarian, clerk and lab assistant in the school.
Besides the ineffective government policies, the strict code of conduct for women in the area is also a major impediment to spread girls' education. Commentators allege that maximum funds allocated each year to FATA education directorate do not end up where they should.
In comparison with Peshawar, where girl students have many choices as far as getting admissions is concerned, FATA has very few colleges and just one university. Sabaoon, a student of grade 8, says: "We must have the right to education, but unfortunately, our traditions are hindering us." Nadia Ashraf and Nimra Shinwari, both students of class 10, say: "education is necessary for a bright future but we are not satisfied with the performance of the only government school in Landikotal." They demand the government to set up more girls' schools in the area.
Residents of Landikotal cite various reasons for the lack of women education. According to Shamsul Amin, a private school teacher, early marriages of girls obstruct their education. He says that the education officer of Khyber Agency is running ghosts schools, which are an injustice to the poor masses and an unnecessary burden on the public kitty.
The educated community and social circles often demand of the government and NGOs to launch an awareness drive for girls' education in Landikotal. Jabir Shinwari, a university student, criticises the education managers of FATA and says that every government has denied educational facilities to the residents and that is the reason that unlike settled areas, education cannot develop in the tribal areas.
Muhammad Amin, a businessman from Landikotal, is not in favour of girls' education. "We do not want our girls to receive education, because an educated girl does not follow our Pakhtun culture and traditions," he says.
"The government claims to be spending millions on education in FATA, but this is merely lip service," says Hazrat Ali, a student of Landikotal Government Degree College. "The government can flush out extremism out of the tribal areas through better education," he adds.
However, Akhtar Rehaman Afridi, Landikotal Assistant Education Officer, speaks highly of girls' education in the tribal areas. "There are 250 girls' schools in Khyber Agency and we are doing our utmost to provide girls' schools with maximum facilities," he says, adding: "There are 47 primary schools, five middle schools and one higher secondary school in FATA, but the education department is keen on setting up more girls' schools to accommodate the rest of the students."
Asked if the government was taking steps to set up more schools in Landikotal and to provide staff to the only girls' school there, Afridi says: "The government recruits most teachers through the Public Service Commission and intends to construct more girls' schools in Landikotal and to provide them with staff. The girls' schools that lack teachers will be soon catered to."