Catholic Public High School
| Catholic Public High School, Sangota | |
|---|---|
 New Building of Sangota Public School | |
| Location | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | High school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic Church |
| Established | 1962 |
| Status | Open (Re-opened April 2012) |
| Local authority | Catholic Board of Education Islamabad-Rawalpindi |
| Administration | Sisters of the Presentation |
| Principal | Sister Gretta Gill |
| Gender | Girls |
| Age | 5 to 16 |
| Enrollment | 1,000 (2007), 80 (2012) |
| Affiliations | Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi |
The Catholic Public High School, commonly known as Sangota Public School, located in Sangota, in the Swat Valley, Pakistan[1] was built in 1962 under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. It was renowned for being the center of quality education in the entire Malakand region, and most of the teachers were Irish nuns who had devoted their lives to educating Swat's children.
A co-education system was in place until the 1990s but after the establishment of Excelsior College, the boys were shifted there and from then onwards only girls were admitted to this prestigious school.
Conception & History
This convent school was established in 1962 by Miangul Jahanzeb, popularly known as Wali sahib, the last ruler of Swat state, who not only donated land for the school but also provided generous financial aid for its construction and operations. The majestic building of the school was situated in a beautiful location on the left bank of the meandering Swat river, committed for spreading the light of education in the region. The Sister teachers of the school also dedicated their lives to education of young girls in neighbouring villages and hamlets, without any thought of financial gains, teaching them the same courses as were being taught in the school in the morning.
Announcement of Closure
The school for girls was closed on September 10, 2007, after a letter warned the Sisters running the school to close the "factory of Christians" or face suicide attacks. Jan Nisaran-e-Islam (sacrificers of Islam) sent the letter to Swat Press Club, and local newspapers published it on September 9. It reopened on 17 September after the Swat district coordination officer assured protection for the convent and the school.[2]
In June 2009 it was destroyed by raiders, according to a report from the Pakistani Bishops Justice and Peace Commission.[3]
The girls' boarding school, run by the Sisters was attacked with explosives that destroyed the building. No victims were reported, as the Sisters themselves had closed the school, as a precaution. The school had nearly 1,000 students mainly from poor Christian and Muslim families.
According to the Church, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has suffered attacks on nearly 150 schools in recent years, a sign of the rise in intolerance and the spread of Islamic fundamentalist groups that are trying to annihilate the work of Christian institutions in the area of education.[4]
Re-Opening
In April 2012 the school was reopened with three sisters and over 80 girls and an impressive new building was erected for its operations.[5]
References
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