In the less than a week, more than ten schools have been burnt down in the Swat Valley of the North West Frontier Province in Pakistan. Almost 70 state-run schools have been destroyed through arson in the past three months, leaving more than 17,000 students displaced from their schools and deprived of an education. It is estimated that a staggering 60 out of the 70 schools targeted and burned down have been all-girls’ schools. The destruction is suspected to be linked to pro-Taliban militants trying to enforce Islamic extremism and prohibit the education of girls. It is believed that these attacks have been in retaliation against the violation of the May 21st peace agreement when the NWFP government launched military operations against the Taliban.
This news is alarming not solely for its sheer brutality in attacking the commonplace of defenseless children, but also due to the fact that the community which Barakat Pakistan serves is composed of primarily Afghan refugees living in the Attock district of Pakistan, which is bordering the conflict-ridden North West Frontier Province. These refugees have fled from the terrorism and destruction of Afghanistan so that they could have stable lives and ensure the safety of their families. Now, they see the same problems emerging in the area they were seeking sanctuary and relief. The affects of the school torchings reach far beyond the schools that have been destroyed. Due to the high insecurity, many of the surrounding schools shut down due to threats or fear of threats.
These attacks along with the continued soar in global food prices, especially for wheat (the main staple in Pakistani diet) creates major barriers to families who wish to lead normal lives. It forces families to focus on their immediate survival as opposed to thinking of the future of their children. As a result, it decreases the already low propensity of impoverished parents to send their children to schools as opposed to the workforce to obtain what little money they can to help the family.
With these major limiting factors, an entire generation of girls is in danger of being left illiterate and deprived of basic educational tools. To prevent this, parents have to realize they must sacrifice the foreseen financial benefits of removing their children from schools and placing them in the workforce and remember the significant impact and potential that an investment in their children’s future can have. It is a difficult decision to make. Even after they have decided to invest in the future of their daughters, parents now are faced with the dilemma of determining if sending their girls to school is worth risking their safety.
Frequently, parents are unable to support the education of their children, even if they do wish for them to attend due to financial obligations that most schools enforce such as tuition fees. Many parents wonder how they can provide an education to their children when they do not even have enough money for food and healthcare for their families. It is a common problem in the developing world where the drop-out rates increase as the cost of schoolbooks and uniforms increase as well. Barakat understands the many factors inhibiting parents from sending their children, especially girls, to schools. As a result, all of the schools which Barakat supports are free, and require no payment of fees or tuition.
For Pakistan to move themselves towards a more secure and prosperous future, teaching and education must persist. Parents and educators must continue to invest in education so as to equip their children with the knowledge necessary to be able to pave the roads leading to development and security. The government as well must find ways to keep educational opportunities available for the children of Pakistan despite the drastic decrease in the number of open schools. When a child is able to attend a school and obtain an education, a new world filled with opportunities is opened to them, and they are much less likely to fall into the clutches of violence and terrorism. Education is the only true way to become emancipated from the chains of poverty and terrorism. Despite the opposition and recent school burnings, I am hopeful that with continued investment in the educational wellbeing of the children of Pakistan, they can become the generation to rise above their impoverished past and lead the way to peace and prosperity.
