PESHAWAR: Educational institutions in Darra Adamkhel, 35 kilometres south of Peshawar, and other tribal areas have remained the prime victim of militancy. The bombing in Sherakai and Bostikhel areas of Darra Adamkhel destroyed two middle schools last week.

Hundreds of institutions, particularly girls schools and colleges, have been attacked in the tribal areas and Malakand division. Girl students of Swat district suffered after their schools and colleges were bombed and also because of threats by the militants.

There was a significant improvement in admissions in the girls schools in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in 2007. Fall in the enrolment in educational institutions for girls is, however, because of increase in militant attacks.

Before the militant attacks on the educational institutions in the Fata the enrolment rate was recorded above 32 per cent in 2003 and it increased to 97 per cent in 2007, statistics collected from the seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions (FRs) revealed.

In 2007, as many as 290,443 male and females tribal students were studying in primary schools, 69,703 in middle, 103,095 in high and 7168 in higher secondary schools while 11,107 students were enrolled in colleges, 14,036 in the mosque schools, 61,685 in the community model schools and 2274 in the industrial homes in Fata.

Apart from the FR Peshawar and the FR Bannu, higher education institutions for the females were established in all the tribal areas. The enrolment rate, however, dropped significantly during 2008-9. In Darra Adamkhel alone, the most of high, middle and primary schools in the public and private sector were bombed during the last two years.

Hannan Afridi, a tribesman from Darra Adamkhel who migrated to Peshawar after the launch of the military operation there, said: “My two daughters had stopped going to school following the attacks on the educational institutions. I shifted to Peshawar and got my children admitted in a school here but I am still worried about their safety.”

So far, the militants have bombed one girls college, two girls high schools, half a dozen middle schools and almost two dozens primary schools. Before the threats to the girls schools, the miscreants had started making their presence felt by bombing CD shops and music centres, forcing a large number of people to switch over to other businesses. Later, they started targeting female educational institutions. Three female teachers were killed during the past years. It scared away the females from Peshawar and Kohat to come to Darra Adamkhel for teaching.

A similar situation is prevailing in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North and South Waziristan as well as in Swat and some of the districts. However, the situation is gradually improving in the Malakand division following last year’s military operation against the militants.The news