‘No changes made to teachers service rules’

TIMERGARA: Director of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Rafiq Khattak on Saturday said there was no proposed amendment in service rules for teachers in the province while some anti-teachers elements were spreading propaganda against the government.

He was addressing a welcome party for the newly posted secretary Malakand Board Abdul Wali Khan at Government High School Shamshi Khan, Talash, in Lower Dir.

BISE Malakand Secretary Abdul Wali Khan, District Education Officer Lower Dir Dr Hafiz Muhammad Ibrahim, principal Aftab Alam, principal Abdul Hameed Nasari and other educationists also spoke on the occasion.

The function was attended by schools’ heads, education management staff, teachers and students.

Khattak said that being the director of Education Department he was assuring the teacher community that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would not change the existing service rules for teachers.

He said that some vested interests had been spreading rumours against the proposed education act of the government.

The director education said that he was a representative of teacher community and that he would defend all the rights of teachers. He said that regularisation of over 40,000 ad-hoc teachers and approval of time scale formula was part of the proposed education act.

He said the teacher community would be taken on board before implementing the new education act.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sanctioned Rs800 million for improving and building capacity of teachers in the province,” the director said, adding how this government could hurt teachers.

He said that staff shortage and provision of missing facilities at the state-run schools throughout the province had been overcome.

He said that a total of 1,61,000 students from private schools had shifted to state-run schools that showed public confidence in the government institutions.

The director said that boundary walls of all schools would be completed before June 2018. The director also announced construction of four additional rooms, water supply scheme and playground for Government High School Shamshi Khan.