Under the new plan, all teachers currently employed by the department will be expected to take the National Testing Services (NTS) exam which will be arranged at a district level. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is planning to remove at least 50% of public school teachers over poor performance, but not before giving them a golden handshake.
Additional Secretary for Education Qaiser Alam told The Express Tribune the golden handshake is among the options under consideration to improve the standard of education in government-run schools.
“Under this policy, teachers will be able to retire in an honourable manner,” he added.
According to official data, the provincial government has spent Rs93 billion on the education department which has 125,000 teachers on its payroll. However, this has not brought the performance of government schools at par with private schools.
As a result, the current government is chalking out a strategy to separate the grain from the chaff and only induct qualified and dedicated personnel as teachers at state-run institutes.
Through the NTS
Under the new plan, all teachers currently employed by the department will be expected to take the National Testing Services (NTS) exam which will be arranged at a district level. This will serve as a litmus test whereby the government can select the right people for the right posts.
According to insiders, teachers will be expected to score at least 50% in the test. If they do not make the cut, they will be given a chance to seek retirement under the golden handshake policy, as per still unconfirmed plans.
Alam said a series of discussions and consultations regarding the plans in the education department are under way. However, the final decision will be taken by the K-P cabinet once the approval of PTI Chairman Imran Khan has been sought.
Farewell to arms
Political parties have voiced reservations over arming school teachers; a decision the provincial government first announced and later took a U-turn on.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan denied that the government had allowed teachers to carry weapons. However, twice in January Minister for Information Mushtaq Ghani had been quoted as saying teachers would be allowed to carry licenced permits to school, where parent-teacher councils would monitor their use.
Even after the rebuttal, members of various political parties are shocked to find this was proposed as a strategy to enhance security at schools. They are of the view that weaponising schools will strengthen the existing gun culture in the province. According to political leaders, it is time to bid farewell to arms and keep children away from them.
“I don’t know how a child will be able to get education with an AK-47 in his teacher’s hands,” Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Baz Muhammad Khan said.
Baz Muhammad urged the K-P government to devise a strategy to overcome militancy rather than encourage every citizen to carry arms. “This will negatively impact the minds of young schoolchildren,” he said. “I want children to hold pens rather than brandish guns.”
Former K-P chief minister and Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI-F) MPA Akram Khan Durrani pressed the government to consult all political parties before taking any further steps.
“People with nefarious minds could obtain arms licences and wreak havoc,” he said. “The government, and not its citizens, is responsible for protecting the public.”
Meanwhile, Qaumi Watan Party’s (QWP) Anisa Zeb Tahirkhili urged the government to focus on security of schools and issue licences to security guards. “Giving teachers guns will undermine the fact that a pen is mightier than a sword,” Tahirkhili said.
Setting the record straight
When asked, former minister of health Shaukat Yousafzai said the decision was being portrayed in a negative light. The provincial government has not allowed teachers to carry guns. However, he added that teachers will be issued licences if they approach the government.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2015.
COMMENTS (6)
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Instead sending teacher ensure that we have already teacher shortage. and another we need curriculum development and the same and tough criteria may be launched for all politician.at least one must be regular master degree holder.
It would be good but too much complicated ,its not the grantee that through NTS only competent and qualified staff will be hired or retained. i suggest in order to improve the quality of education,need to work on curriculum development and the politician must be at lest master degree holder or having more than one master degrees.
@Dr. Khalid: Why not, don't we have security guards inside Banks, Financial institutions? I think if we can provide security for 'cash' then we can do the same for children. But at the same time, weapon should be given to a few specially selected and trained teachers only.
Guns in schools, not a good idea!
The plan of golden handshake is not bad but the task is gigantic. Hope something better will get out of the process. As for the NTS test, it's a good to induct only qualified people in the education department.