Divided views: Teachers wary of govt monitoring plan

Say first “real issues” that plague the education system should be addressed.

PESHAWAR:

The government’s new plan of monitoring state-run schools has been criticised by teachers who say the initiative will further burden the national exchequer.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Elementary and Secondary Education Department (ESED) has decided to hire 465 male and female monitors and each one of them will inspect three schools in their respective areas daily.

Apart from keeping a record of attendance of teachers and students, these officials will inform the department about the lack of facilities in schools and supervise the performance of parent-teacher councils. Education Sector Reforms Unit Deputy Director Farid Khattak said the new system will be implemented soon.

“Around 600 government employees, including district education officers, deputy district officers (DDO), circle officers and sub-divisional officers are employed to monitor schools in every district. What will be the responsibility of the new officials?” questioned Malik Khalid Khan, the president of the All Primary Teachers Association.

He said the government should first address the “real issues” faced by the education system. Without finding out the root cause, these measures will only be temporary. “I reject the new monitoring system. It will only be a waste of time.”



Azizullah Khan who teaches at the Government High School Gulbahar said the government should focus on controlling rampant corruption, nepotism and promotions on the basis of political affiliation. “How will the standard of education improve when an incompetent teacher, is employed because of their connections?” he asked.

Another school teacher, Fazal Hanif said the concerned executive district officers (EDO) or DDO do not visit schools. “They don’t even know where a school in their area is, how will they be able to know whether teachers are performing their duties or not?” He added some teachers work in other organisations but come to collect salaries. Hanif said the government should first control these employees and then consider hiring more.

Some teachers, however, said the new system would help update and regularise the affairs of government primary and middle schools to a great extent. “Absenteeism of teachers is very common in these schools and can be controlled by these monitors unlike DDOs who have to keep a check on hundreds of schools,” he said.

The monitoring committee will prepare a three-month report of every district which will be presented to the concerned EDO who will then forward it to the education department. The reports will be discussed with the minister, secretaries and directors to propose improvements in the education sector.

Khattak said cash prizes will also be given to those EDOs and teachers whose performance has remained satisfactory throughout while those whose performance is not considered up to the mark will be laid off.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2013.