Teachers trained in techniques to help traumatised students

PESHAWAR: The teachers of 45 private schools in the Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency received training from the officials of the Fata Education Foundation (FEF) on how to help traumatic schoolchildren to resume normal life.

The foundation in collaboration with Unicef organised two-day training “Psycho Social Support Skills” here. The teachers from private schools attended the training session. Deputy Managing Director FEF Hashim Khan Afridi, Manager Planning and Development Javed Khan Afridi, Assistant Manager Muhammad Uzair, Additional Director Education Department Fata Abbas Khan and others were also in the attendance.

Speaking on the occasion Hashim Afridi said that their aim was to train the teachers of the private schools in dealing with mental problems of the students. He added that the children who went through trauma during the last few years in militancy-stricken tribal areas would be taught differently by teachers who were trained recently.

The teachers, he said, could play a key role to bring out the school-going children from trauma and bring them to normal life. “It is a pilot project and the department is pondering over to extend it to other tribal agencies,” he maintained.

He said the department had limited resources and the reason why it arranged the training with support of Unicef.Hashim Afridi added that Fata Education Foundation was functioning under public private partnership and it was authorised to work for strengthening private education institutions.

An official of FEF while sharing statistics on the occasion said that some 180 teachers would be trained and they would impart their skills and knowledge to children. “Our children are very talented and competent, but unfortunately they are bearing the brunt of militancy,” said General Secretary of Private Schools Association Asghar Khan.

He pledged that they would try their best to bring the minor students out of shock by making effective use of the skills they learnt. He urged the teachers to focus on improving mental level of children.Another teacher of private school, Qasim Khan Afridi said they knew about the problems of children who had to face displacement.