Winning big: Cash and prizes worth Rs115m given to teachers

Minister says recognising efforts of dedicated educators is a must

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan told government schoolteachers that there is no room for complacency and they must perform their jobs with dignity, dedication and honesty.

Khan was addressing a prize distribution ceremony arranged by Government Shaheed Hasnain Sharif Higher Secondary School No 1 on Friday.

Teachers and principals who performed their duties in an outstanding manner during the matriculation exams were given prizes. The K-P Elementary and Secondary Education department distributed tablet PCs among teachers of science subjects along with cash.

Khan said cash prizes and tablets worth Rs115 million were distributed among the teachers and principals who had performed well this year, while the department plans to increase the incentives by next year.

“This is the first time in the history of the province that services of the best-performing-teachers were recognised,” he said in his speech. He added teachers are often criticised and those who do their jobs properly are rarely appreciated. “We recognise those who perform well and there is no space in the department for teachers who are negligent.”



Teachers were awarded Rs50,000 each as a cash prize, while principals were given Rs100,000 each. Similarly, the department distributed a total of 2,500 tablet PCs among science subject teachers with each school getting six of the devices. Khan said he is proud of teachers who are honest. “The prizes are awarded with the aim of encouraging such people and appreciating their work.”

Referring to a recent social media trend #LowFeeorNoFee at private schools, Khan said government schools have qualified teachers with the highest salaries. However, parents still send their children to private schools as they produce good results. However, the parents have recently started demanding that these institutes lower their fee structure.

He said banning private institutes or restricting them from increasing fees was not the solution.

The minister said the system has been in a state of disarray for the last six decades and would be impossible to transform in just a couple of years.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th,  2015.