120 Swabi Schools Sealed Over Unsafe Buildings

120 Swabi schools sealed by the district administration were closed after inspections found their buildings unsafe for students. Dawn reported the action on November 2, 2026. Sources told Dawn that inspections in all four tehsils of the district found cracks in the walls and rooms of several school buildings, making them unfit for educational activities and a threat to students lives.

The inspection teams sealed the institutions found to be dangerous, despite objections and excuses by some school administrations. Officials made it clear that no compromise would be made on student safety, and took decisions on the spot after assessing building conditions, the sources said. The inspection campaign covers both public and private schools. It was launched following the collapse of a private school building in Peshawar, which claimed the lives of children and a female teacher.

Assistant commissioners of the four tehsils are leading the inspection teams. They have been directed to complete the exercise without discrimination, giving priority to student safety to prevent any untoward incident. Deputy Commissioner Nasarullah Khan told Dawn that inspection would continue without interruption to check all schools in the district.

Swabi schools sealed: the scale of the inspection

Out of approximately 2,000 public and private schools in Swabi, 1,224 had so far been inspected and around 120 sealed, the deputy commissioner said. The remaining institutions would be inspected soon. He added: “We will not stop until we complete the task in accordance with the provincial government directives.”

The district has a total of 289,180 students, the deputy commissioner said. The administration did not have separate figures for children enrolled in private schools. Students of sealed public-sector schools would be accommodated in nearby educational institutions to ensure that their studies were not disrupted. Heads of the schools concerned had been directed to make immediate arrangements in this regard.

Private school administrations had been instructed to rent suitable alternative buildings and continue classes there while arranging repairs for their sealed premises. They would be allowed to resume classes in their original buildings only after these had been renovated and cleared by the district administration. The deputy commissioner added: “We understand the importance of children education. We are taking urgent action to ensure that their education continues smoothly.”

Why the checks started now

The Swabi campaign is part of a wider safety response after the Peshawar collapse. That collapse prompted safety audits of school buildings across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and raised a basic question for parents: how many other school buildings have hidden cracks, weak roofs or poor maintenance that no one has checked?

Swabi answers part of that question with hard numbers. About six in every 10 schools in the district have been inspected so far, and about one in 10 of those inspected was sealed.

The wider provincial picture is sobering. Our earlier coverage reported that 4,049 schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were classified as dilapidated, with Rs16.2 billion needed for repairs. Swabi alone has 289,180 students, so a sealed school is not a minor administrative step. It disrupts timetables, transport and exams unless the alternative arrangements promised by the district actually happen. Parents in Swabi should therefore watch two things in the coming days: whether sealed public schools publish their nearby-school placements, and whether sealed private schools actually rent alternative buildings rather than simply sending children home.

What parents and schools should expect next

How many Swabi schools have been sealed?

Around 120 schools, mostly private, have been sealed after inspections found their buildings unsafe.

How many schools have been inspected so far?

Out of approximately 2,000 public and private schools in Swabi, 1,224 had been inspected when the deputy commissioner spoke to Dawn.

Why did the inspections start?

The campaign was launched following the collapse of a private school building in Peshawar, which claimed the lives of children and a female teacher.

What happens to students at sealed schools?

Students at sealed public schools will be accommodated in nearby institutions. Private schools must rent suitable alternative buildings and continue classes there.

When can a sealed school reopen?

Only after its building has been renovated and cleared by the district administration.