Becoming tech-savvy: Teachers in FATA to log attendance electronically

Ekka Ghund college launches BSc programme, second in region.

SHABQADAR:

An Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) has been established in the tribal belt to monitor education and health sectors, FATA Director for Education Professor Hamidullah Jan told The Express Tribune on Wednesday. He said this during his visit to the Government Degree College Ekka Ghund in Mohmand Agency to inaugurate the bachelors of sciences programme there.

Carrot and stick

Teachers and other school staff will be monitored via biometric machines that will be installed in all educational institutions across Fata, he said. Jan said the provincial government is already successfully running the system in K-P; “We plan to implement it in Fata as well.”



Additionally, “A rationalisation policy will also be implemented in Fata’s education department to maximise utilisation of its resources,” Jan added, explaining no teacher will be fired from their jobs. “Instead, they will be reshuffled and transferred to institutions where there is a shortage of staff,” he said.

He announced teachers from Fata will be rewarded just like those in K-P if the students do well in exams in the next academic cycle.

When asked about constructing new schools, Jan said the first priority of Fata’s administration is to reconstruct damaged schools.

“Fata is in a dire need of schools and colleges, however, our first priority is to make the old ones functional again,” he said. More than 500 schools have been damaged due to militancy in Fata, he added.

Inaugural speeches

In his inaugural address, he said Fata has a lot of talent, and this is the second BSc programme that has been launched in Fata. “The first one was launched in
Bajaur Agency.”

Principal Professor Tasbeehullah said this program will introduce new possibilities for learning to the students in the agency. “We plan to introduce multiple graduate and post-graduate programmes in future as well,” he added.

Muhammad Rafiq, a teacher at the college, told The Express Tribune though it was great to have a BSc programme at the college, the area still suffers from prolonged power outages.

“This hinders the educational experience students are supposed to get,” he said, adding the college needs more computer systems as there are currently only seven in the lab.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2015.