KALAYA: Due to violence and the recent military action in the upper and central tehsils of Orakzai Agency, more than 2,672 students including girls of 17 high schools in the area could not appear in the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) annual examinations 2011.
The sources said the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Secretariat in Peshawar and the political administration in Orakzai Agency did not bother to save the precious time of the students.
The grade-10 boys of the schools who missed their annual matriculation examination included those from government high schools in Dabori Ghaljo, Saifal Darra, Dradar Mamozai, Bazidkhel, Hawa Mela, Ompanrai, Sufaidar, Khwaro Kot and Gal.

Similarly, the students of the government girls high schools in Gandi Tal, Gal Alikhel, Ghaljo, Khadezai, Yakh Kandao and Mazid Garhi also missed the examination. The parents of the students said neither the Fata Secretariat Education Department nor the political administration of Orakzai Agency bothered to make alternative arrangements to save the future of the students.

They said it was not difficult for the agency education officer to adjust the candidates in the examination centres in peaceful areas in Orakzai Agency. However, they accused the political administration of criminal negligence.

When contacted, Agency Education Officer Lalzada Khan said most of the schools in the central and upper tehsils of Orakzai Agency had been destroyed by the militants. He added that the people had abandoned their native areas for safer places due to violence.

The worried parents asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to take note of this gross negligence on the part of the Fata Secretariat and the Orakzai Agency political administration and save the precious session of the students by re-scheduling the SSC examination for the affected students.The news