PESHAWAR: A total of 710 schools have been destroyed or damaged by the militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the last two years.
Malakand Division is the worst hit as a total of 640 schools have been hit in this unfortunate region while 70 institutions were destroyed or damaged in all other districts of the militancy-hit province.
According to information provided to the Khyber Pakhtun-khwa Assembly on Monday in response to a question by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl MPA Mufti Said Janan, construction work on 112 damaged schools in Malakand division had been started while 52 damaged schools were in tendering process. Another 164 schools were completely destroyed.
The data collected by the Education Department revealed that out of 476 partially damaged schools in Malakand division, 334 had been repaired while reconstruction work on 142 others was still going on in the militancy-hit areas. However, the question was not answered, as the MPA concerned was not present in the House.

Of the 70 schools destroyed or damaged by the militants in other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa except Malakand division, 38 schools were damaged and 32 were destroyed. Construction work on five fully damaged schools has begun while the PC-1 of 33 schools is under process. Similarly, repair work on two schools has been started while 30 schools are awaiting PC-1 and formal approval.

The information provided to the provincial assembly revealed that out of 164 damaged schools in Malakand, 104 were girls’ schools and 62 were that of boys. These included 109 primary schools, 24 middle, 24 high and seven higher secondary schools.

The figures showed that 121 schools in Swat, 20 in Lower Dir, 14 in Buner, 6 in Upper Dir and three in Shangla districts were damaged by the militants during the last two years.

Out of 476 partially damaged schools in Malakand division, 179 were meant for female and 297 for male students. These included 293 primary schools, 75 middle schools, 87 high schools and 15 higher secondary schools. The statement showed that 280 schools in Swat, 58 in Buner, 54 in Dir Upper, 57 in Dir Lower and two in Malakand Agency were partially damaged.

The provincial assembly was informed that out of the total 38 damaged schools in other parts of the province, the schools in Peshawar were the main target where during the last two years 19 institutions were destroyed including 12 for girls and seven for boys.

In Bannu, four girls and two boys’ schools were destroyed by the militants while four each in Tank and Hangu districts, three schools in Charsadda and one each in Nowshera and Kohat districts were damaged.

In the list of partially damaged schools, there were 16 girls’ schools and 13 boys’ schools in Peshawar district, 11 girls’ and six boys’ schools in Bannu district, nine schools in Hangu, two in Nowshera, six in Charsadda, four in Tank and three in Kohat.

In response to another question, Provincial Education Minister Sardar Hussain Babak said about 2,800 Senior English Teachers (SETs) for arts subjects would soon be posted in schools as the Public Service Commission had approved their recruitment after conducting tests and interviews while 2,800 SET teachers for science subjects would be appointed by the end of June this year. He asked the commission to expedite the recruitment process.

The minister also said that the recruitment of Qaris and theology teachers was delayed because some of the applicants were not qualified or held bogus degrees.The news