Floods in Pakistan destroy 61 schools, damage 414 others

The education sector has been the worst hit by the recent heavy rains and flash floods in Pakistan. At least 61 government schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been completely destroyed and 414 schools have been damaged in the floods over the past few days. According to official data, 52 government primary schools, seven middle schools and two high schools were among the total schools destroyed. Education department officials told Dawn that the extent of damage to school buildings would increase as more reports of destroyed schools come in. In Dir Lower, 17 government primary schools were destroyed due to heavy rains and flash floods, which is the highest number. This was followed by eight primary schools in Shangla. Similarly, Haripur suffered the most damage with 29 schools. At least 17 schools were damaged in Buner district. Official data also revealed that four teachers and one staff member were killed and three more teachers were injured due to rains and floods in Buner district. The data showed that four students died in the disaster. “We will continue the education program by any means,” Mohammad Khalid, secretary of the Primary and Secondary Education Department, told Dawn. He said that to save time, they will opt for setting up prefabricated schools as such structures can be built within a month or two. The Primary and Secondary Education Department has already planned to set up 50 prefabricated schools in different parts of the province. He also said that such schools will be set up in flood-hit areas, changing the previous plan. Another education department official told Dawn that government school infrastructure existed in every village and neighborhood council, due to which the education department had to face huge losses due to natural and man-made disasters. He said that hundreds of government schools were destroyed in the 2005 earthquake in Hazara Division. Besides, the education department’s infrastructure was also severely damaged during the war on terrorism as many government schools were bombed. The death toll from flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in northwest Pakistan over the past few days has surpassed 350. At least 328 people have died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.