e-Bagrotbericht 2008

270 students attend Monika Girls High School today in the Bagrot valley. She leads 10 classes and more recently also a kindergarden class, a project of the school board. The main students come from all six villages of the valley to the lessons, usually on foot.

In the 2007 school year, no student had graduated from the 10^th grade. This was not an isolated case. The success rate at secondary schools throughout the region was very low after months of class shortage. Due to political unrest in the nearby city of Gilgit, all government institutions had been closed and for a long time there was also a curfew. In the final year of 2008, after a normal school year, the success rate at the girls' school is 45%, well above the regional average of only 27%!

112 primary school children and 39 kindergarden children are taught in the morning by 8 female teachers. In the afternoon, 8 privately funded teachers teach the 119 main students in grades 6 to 10 in the subjects Urdu, English, Mathematics, Home Economics, Natural History, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Religion, Pakistan Studies and Arabic.

... to 11<sup>th</sup> class — ... to 11^th class

The costs for 8 secondary school teachers plus caretaker amount to 330 € per month (32,600 PKR).

The two school buildings are still bursting at the seams, because the new additional classrooms have structural defects. They have therefore not yet been accepted by the school board which financed the extension.

All Reports

The College

28 secondary school graduates attend 11^th and 12^th grade secondary education. The success rate for the final exams in May 2008 is a pleasing 50%. The small private college for girls exists since 3 years. Lessons take place near the girls' school in an old building in the afternoon, adapted to the daily routine of the young women. The classrooms have little natural light. They are now connected to the power supply system and equipped with lights, funded by private donations. 4 teachers teach the students in Urdu, English, Maths, Civics, Religion, Pakistan Studies, Sociology and Pedagogy.

The cost for 4 college teachers is 180 € per month (18,000 PKR).

The young women take every opportunity to study, even when cattle herding

Promoting Schoolgirls

Last year, for the first time, we offered four scholarships for students from economically poor families to visit the BASE Public School. This young private school with 360 pupils and students in grades 1 to 8 is the only school in the valley with mixed classes and uses English-language teaching materials in the majority of subjects. Private operating agency is a self-help initiative in Bagrot. In a voluntary test, the four best participants from the elementary schools of the valley were selected.

Group picture with primary school teachers

They moved to the BASE School in August 2007. This summer, four more elementary students have been selected for long-term scholarships.

The annual school fees per pupil are 30 € (3,000 PKR).

Read, Read, Read

In the coming year, we want to launch competitions for the reading enthusiasts among the students; as well as readings with authors from the Gilgit region who write in the native language Shina and in the national language Urdu.

A big “Thank You” from Bagrot to all donors and women of the Forum Kinder in Not e. V. . They have always supported the school with a great deal of personal commitment and have facilitated it over the years.
Many Bagroti still vividly remembered the colorful celebration of their 15^th anniversary last year.

As in previous years, the donations will be used one to one for the staff costs of private teachers, urgently needed repairs and school materials. Travel and material costs are borne by me personally.

Hearty Greetings from Hamburg
Monika Schneid, October 2008