KARACHI, Nov 11: Street schools are a distinct feature of Lyari as they are not found in any other part of the city. Hasht Chowk is known for such schools, where the open streets serve as classrooms while the walls turn into blackboards.

The schools, supported by various NGOs, are lit with street-lights as they have odd timings: 4pm to 11pm. Primary classes begin from 4pm and end at 6pm, while secondary classes start at 6pm, higher secondary at 8pm, followed by graduates while adult education classes continue till 11pm.

There are two main reasons why these schools have been set up and why they are immensely popular. Firstly, Lyari is notorious for is gang wars and the associated problems they cause. As soon as bullets ricochet in the area, people run for their lives and day-to-day life comes to a standstill.

Secondly, parents in the area can hardly afford to send their children to private schools, while the level of education offered at government schools is far from satisfactory. There was a time when there were more than 50 schools in Lyari. However, now they number no more than 10.

The street schools charge a nominal fee of Rs25 for primary classes, Rs50 for secondary and Rs100 for intermediate classes. The students number about 100 or so. Rotary Street School, one such school, has a teaching staff of 15 to 20, while it opens at 4pm.

Children wearing no uniforms sit in a corner of the street, which is separated by a cloth partition. Here they study two subjects a day.

“We have two hours for one section. So a teacher is teaching at times two or three classes, therefore it is convenient that similar subjects are taught,” said Sohail Ahmed Rahi, project manager of the Rotary Street School.

The teachers, working in shifts at the school, teach free of cost. They are helped by the administration in terms of fees if they want to study further. In this way not only do the students get an education but poor, jobless youths are also given a chance to continue their own education.

Interestingly, the ratio of female students is more than that of the male ones. “Over a period of some years, girl students have taken more interest in studies and are more regular. They make up almost 60 per cent of the total students,” said Rahi. When the kids were asked what professions they wanted to pursue, the majority of the girls said doctor while the boys preferred teaching or expressed their desire to become pilots.

Costly intervals

One of the teachers at the school, Jalil, said that the gang war in the area has hampered their system very much. “We hardly have regular classes now. Every other day we come to know that the situation in the area is tense so parents are afraid to send their children to school,” he pointed out. The schools that were supposed to have resumed three or four months ago could not do so due to the uncertain conditions.

The students and teachers both complain that because of the long intervals between school sessions, the children have already forgotten much of what had been taught. “Most of these children belong to families that are not very educated. So when there are no classes in session, the parents hardly ever bother to teach their children themselves,” said Jalil.

And the abrupt breaks in the school sessions showed. When the children were asked basic general knowledge questions by this reporter, they could hardly answer. Out of 20 kids attending the school, only two or three knew what they had studied.

Wannabe gangsters

And in the absence of a proper education system, the children of Lyari have begun to be greatly influenced by the local gangsters. “Teenagers seem to be fascinated by the very idea of guns and violence. And the reason for this is the lack of recreational facilities and constant disturbances in their education. The youngest gang member is said to be an eleven-year-old boy, who has been given a gun,” said a teacher.

When asked if the parents were aware of the situation and the direction their children were heading in, he said “Of course they are aware. But they cannot ask the child to leave the gang, as the moment he even suggests this, the child will be killed.”

Considering the current state of affairs, Lyari’s street schools are one of the locality’s few rays of hope.