PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Akbar Ayub Khan has said a proposal to introduce co-education in primary schools across the province and appointing female teachers there is under consideration to ensure maximum enrolment of children in schools.
Talking to a delegation of UK-funded international organisation DFID on Wednesday, the minister said the KP government was considering to establish six to 12 schools with all modern facilities in each union council (UC). According to the state-run news agency, the minister told the delegation that as many as 65,000 teachers would be appointed in KP including merged districts in next three years, adding that the KP government in collaboration with international organisations would ensure provision of all facilities to schools across KP especially merged districts on priority basis.
The proposal of co-education in primary schools will not be easy to implement given the conservative mindset of people in KP, particularly in merged tribal districts. However, co-education is already in place in private educational institutions.
The KP ESED appointed 17,000 teachers in 2018 and advertised thousands of other vacancies in KP and merged districts in 2019 and this process is near completion.
Recently, KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan ordered completion of appointment process of 3,500 teachers in 600 schools of merged tribal districts by April 2020.
Two days ago, Akbar Ayub Khan directed activation of district scrutiny committees within 15 days and asked them to start work in their respective districts as quickly as possible for promotion of education services. Presiding over a high-level meeting of government and private schools, he said Private Schools Regularity Authority (PSRA) has been set up to regulate and provide better facilities to private schools.
The minister directed private schools to cooperate with the authority so that the students and teachers’ problems could be addressed on priority basis. He said Private Schools Education Network (PEN) would be given representation in boards in matters pertaining to affairs of private schools and public and private sectors reforms.
The minister directed taking up issue of non-release of salaries of Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation with Finance Department and address it on priority basis.