K-P govt to hire 17,000 more teachers till tenure end

Minster says will hire more educators through NTS

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government plans to hire 17,000 teachers through National Testing Services (NTS).

“The PTI led provincial government will hire 17,000 more teachers till the end of its tenure,” said the K-P Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Atif Khan.

Atif shared this while addressing the concluding ceremony of second batch of English Access Micro Scholarship Programme in Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) Peshawar.



The micro-scholarship is a US funded two-year English learning programme exclusively for girls studying in government schools. The girls are required to live away from their homes at SBBWU hostel where they learn to use computers, social media and about the daily life and culture in the US.

He said the provincial cabinet has given its nod to regularise the services of nearly 40,000 teachers hired through NTS.

With its focus on female education, Atif said, the incumbent government has decided to recruit only women as primary school teachers.

Minister said that among the new schools built in the province, 70% were for girls and 30% for boys.

Moreover, the minister said, to encourage students of government schools, this government has decided to award Rs1 million, Rs0.5 million and Rs0.3 million for first, second and third position holders in board exams.

“If politicians and top officers are wasting public money by unfair methods so why not we use it in a right place to encourage the poor children,” the minister said.

Addressing to the participants SBBWU Peshawar Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Razia Sultana said the main objective of the programme was to strengthen Pakistan and US relationship by not only teaching English to students but also making them aware about culture and life in
the US.

Around 200 students have availed this scholarship. She said that the students had two summer camps in Nathiagali and visited different places which increased their knowledge and confidence. Besides English language, the girls learnt computer skills too, she said.

K-P Assembly Deputy Speaker Mehar Taj Roghani and representatives of the US Consulate appreciated the role of SBBWU Peshawar.

Sharing experience

Students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School Larma presented songs and speeches and shared their experiences of the two-year course.



Talking to The Express Tribune two sisters of the Larma School, Mamona and Hussain Ara, said they came from a poor family of Bannu district.

However, the scholarship programme allowed them to stay in Peshawar for learning English Language.

Husain Ara said: “Initially, our family did not allow us to stay away from home, but at the end our father agreed and also supported us to come here and learn English. We have done this job very well.”

The sisters said that they plan to teach English in their native village.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2017.