RAWALPINDI: Though most of the schools in Rawalpindi district are facing a shortage of furniture, the situation of a government elementary school for girls in Shakrial is worse than others. Three hundred students of this school are forced to study while sitting on a congested terrace.

The Government Girls’ Nusrat Elementary School, constructed upon an eight-marla piece of land, is the only facility for the female students of the Shakrial union council.

Currently, more than 600 students are enrolled in this school.

However, due to a shortage of rooms, five classes, having a total of around 300 students, are being held on a congested terrace, under makeshift arrangements.

“In both seasons, summers and winters, the students and teachers have to face a lot of difficulties. Sometimes, we have to tackle rain and sometimes sweat in scorching heat,” said Principal Farhat Jabeen.

The school has 13 sections of classes. Out of them, give classes are being held at the congested terrace, without any separation, which creates problems from the students and the teachers.

“In the congested environment, I often fail to understand the lectures of my teachers,” said a seventh-grader, Benish Bibi.

The principal of the school told Dawn that, initially, Iqra Primary School was set up in the building.

However, in year 2000, the Nusrat Elementary School, which was operating at the committee chowk, was shifted in the upper portion of the building. In the following years, the government merged both the schools.

“Earlier, we used to set up a canopy to shelter the children from rain and sun. However, two years ago, the government replaced the canopy with fibre glass sheets,” said a school teacher, Misbah Munir.

Speaking to Dawn, a school teacher, wishing not to be names, said that a number of minor students faint on a daily basis, during summers, due to heat and suffocation.

The teachers said that they have taken up the issues with the education department, for the construction of a new building, but to no avail.

“From the executive district officer to Punjab government, everyone is well aware of the situation at the school, but no one cares about the poor students,” said a senior official of the education department.

Meanwhile, the executive district officer (EDO) for education, Qazi Zahoorul Haq, while talking to Dawn said that the department is unable to construct a new building.

“I know about the problems being faced by the students and the teachers of Shakrial school, but as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs), the local community is supposed to donate a piece of land for the construction of the school,” he said.

The EDO, however, assured that he would look into the matter and would try to mitigate the sufferings of the students.

The local residents of Shakrial said that since the Nusrat Elementary School cannot accommodate all the students of the area, due to a shortage of space, the government should construct a new school.

“It is the responsibility of the government to purchase land, and build schools,” said Sajid Qureshi, a local political leader. “For their vested interests, the politicians can amend the laws, but when it comes to education they say that under the SOPs, the community is supposed to donate a plot for the construction of schools,” he added.