Thousands of Government Schools Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Require Urgent Repairs

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department identified 4,049 public schools needing immediate rebuilding or rehabilitation to guarantee the safety of both students and teachers.

Repairing and reconstructing these damaged boys and girls schools will cost an estimated Rs. 16.2 billion, according to the department. This labor involves 8,088 classrooms, 2,949 group toilets, and 48 examination halls.

District and tehsil education offices carried out the survey after a private school building collapsed in Peshawar at Dir Colony, which resulted in the deaths of 31 students and a female teacher.

Authorities also instructed the Elementary and Secondary Education Authority to inspect private school buildings throughout the province.

An official from the education department stated that the authority checked more than 6,000 out of the 12,493 private schools registered with the Private Schools Regulatory Authority. He added that the inspections will take another week to finish.

Survey results show that Swat contains 488 government schools in bad shape. Fixing 518 classrooms, 301 washrooms, and five examination halls there will cost an estimated Rs. 1 billion.

Mardan holds 350 damaged school buildings, where 728 classrooms and 272 washrooms need rehabilitation at an estimated cost of Rs. 1 billion.

In Haripur, 332 schools require rehabilitation, comprising 130 girls schools and 202 boys schools. The project covers 811 classrooms, 336 washrooms, and five examination halls, with an estimated price of Rs. 1 billion.

Lower Dir features 271 damaged government schools, where fixing 689 classrooms, 128 washrooms, and one examination hall will demand Rs. 1.48 billion.

Abbottabad requires Rs. 1.098 billion to rehabilitate 245 schools, which includes 130 girls schools and 115 boys schools.

In Charsadda, 174 schools need fixes for 430 classrooms and 23 group toilets at an estimated price of Rs. 874.7 million. Kohat features 168 damaged schools, with the rehabilitation of 522 classrooms and 24 washrooms projected to cost Rs. 1.7 billion.

Malakand needs Rs. 690 million to fix 368 classrooms and 80 washrooms across 162 schools. In Upper Dir, repairing 249 classrooms and 52 washrooms across 161 schools, consisting of 71 girls schools and 90 boys schools, will cost Rs. 368 million.

Karak contains 132 damaged schools, where 327 classrooms and 83 washrooms need rehabilitation at an estimated cost of Rs. 727 million.

In Hangu, 116 schools require repairs, including 92 boys schools and 24 girls schools. Rehabilitating 468 classrooms, 10 washrooms, and two examination halls will cost Rs. 438 million.

Buner has 71 damaged schools, made up of 47 boys schools and 24 girls schools. Fixing 285 classrooms and 75 group toilets will take Rs. 386 million.

In Battagram, 59 schools are in poor condition, including 56 boys schools and three girls schools. Reconstructing 53 classrooms, 29 group toilets, and one examination hall will cost an estimated Rs. 130 million.

The department additionally located 454 schools needing rehabilitation in Peshawar, 202 in Nowshera, 174 in Mansehra, 160 in Swabi, 110 in Lower Kohistan, and 47 in Kolai-Palas.

Another 38 schools need rehabilitation in Upper Chitral and Upper Kohistan, along with 35 in Lower Chitral, 33 in Shangla, and 30 in Torghar.