Nangarhar Sikh community’s children want building for school

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The only primary school students of Sikh community in eastern Nangarhar had to continue their education in few small rooms of their worship place called Daramsal and complained no proper infrastructure for the school was provided to them.

They said most of the time their school remained closed because it was a worship place and their teachers were not allowed during special religious ceremonies.

The Baba Kabir primary school founded in 2012 but could not be constructed until now although the plot had been bought and provided by the Sikh community.

  Around 60 students were being imparted education in the school by four teachers who faced multiple problems and strict security search while entering to the Daramsal.

In addition teaching in the Sikh community school was not an easy task too because of communication barrier as all of the students were not Pushto speakers.

Amdaf Singh, the student of fourth class, said their school remained shut most of the time because of religious events or guest who attend the religious events.

He demanded the construction of a separate school where the student could comfortably study.

Currently boys and girls study in the same school but they feared that some families my stop their daughters when they rose up.

Prena, the student of fourth class, said her family may not allow her to continue co-education in the future asking for a facility where girls and boys could study separately.

Ustad Iqbal, a teacher and religious scholar, expressed similar concerns. He said three of their teachers were Muslims who were not allowed during religious events in the Daramsal.

The Sikh community has also allotted land for a special school but no practical work has been so far carried out by the Education department after promises it held for many years, Iqbal lamented.

He said earlier the school children were deprived of education due to lack of a special school and now there was no building where the student could study.

Baba Kabir Primary School’s headmaster, Mohammad Akram Tarin, told Pajhwok the 60 enrolled students at the school were being taught by four teachers.

He said the school had two formal teachers and as many contracted teachers. Besides the education ministry’s curriculum, Sikhism and Hindko language–mother tongue of Sikhs–were also being taught to students, he added.

Tarin also asked the education department to give priority to constructing a building for the special school for Sikhs in order the teachers go to school easily and students attend classes in a comfortable environment.

On the other hand, Nangarhar education department officials, while acknowledging the issues faced by the students, said the construction work on the special school building halted due to the lack of budget.

Proposals of the school construction had been sent to a number of organizations, said the education department’s spokesman, Mohammad Asif Shinwari. The school has also been given priority in the next 1396 solar year’s budget, he stated.

They were ready to construct the school building if the budget was approved on time or an organization came forward to provide assistance in this regard.

“We will increase the teacher staff as students’ number grows and when the number reached the specific level, boys and girls will be segregated and taught in separate classes in line with the ministry’s regulations.” However, he assured all the issues of the school would be addressed.

Currently about 80 Sikh families live in Jalalabad city amounting to a total of 500 people, who are suffering from various issues besides the education problem.

nh/sns