Finding no other way, the headmaster of a state-owned school has started a fund-raising campaign to get the renovation work of his school completed in Mirpurbathoro town of district Sujawal. Usmainia Primary School has a current enrollment of 600 students and is one of the oldest schools in the district.
Headmaster of the school Abdul Ghani Lohar told this scribe that the renovation work of the school started in 2017 through a joint collaboration of the Sindh Government and The World Bank but after some time the contractor who was assigned the project left the work incomplete citing different reasons.
“Since we had no other option we started educational activities in a partially renovated building that does not have a main gate”; he said adding that it was his responsibility to provide complete facilities to the students but due to shortage of funds he took this step.
Several letters have been written to the district education department in this regard but no satisfactory response arrived. The step was taken by the headmaster in consultation with other staff who gave consent to the proposal of the head teacher.
A teacher of the school requesting anonymity said that they had gathered a sizable amount in the wake of this fund-raising initiative and the citizens of Mirpur Bathoro had ensured complete support.
He further said that the school’s furniture had been stolen in the past following an incomplete boundary wall. Muhammad Bachal, a student of class 4 said that he could easily feel the change in weather and cold breeze blowing around as there were no windows to his classroom.
“I know I would face serious departmental action for this move but my responsibility is to protect my students”; held the headmaster and appealed to caretaker CM Sindh to take measures for providing complete facilities to the school.
