By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/merged districts directorate on Tuesday said that provincial government has released 300 million rupees which would be used for development works in state schools in district Khyber.
Briefing media men here in the education office, additional director of development Farid Khattak said that Parents and Teachers Councils(PTC) have already constituted 600 government-run schools in seven tribal districts and six frontier regions. He said the aim of the released amount to the councils was to use it for the renovation of state schools, construction of washrooms, purchase of sports goods, availability of drinking water, and to install solar technology to ensure electricity during school hours.
He said they have released bank cheques to each school and parents and teachers councils(PTC) were authorized to use the amount on the demand-driven development projects in the government-run schools.
Khattak said the government officials had no involvement in the use of the money however they could only keep a check on the ongoing work in the schools so that they could ensure transparency in the use of money. He added that the money would first be deposited in the bank accounts of PTC office bearers and they could purchase construction and other required materials.
The official said they want to involve the community in the promotion of qualitative construction work and to strengthen liaison between parents and teachers.
He said the same as a mosque everyone should own a school which is public property. He said they collect charities for the construction of a mosque and pay salaries to prayer leaders but they ignore school and its teacher in everything.
The official said erstwhile Fata was severely suffered by militancy in the past that caused dropped education ratio to the lowest level in history. “It is time that we should jointly use our efforts sincerely and help stand educational institutions to provide the best possible education to the militancy suffered and ignored tribal children”, Khattak vowed.
To a question, director Farid Khattak said that the amount released was auditable and they would closely monitor the whole process.
Urging for positive change in the behavior of, Farid Khattak said that they would conduct a series of training for Parents and Teachers Councils members so that they could be awarded of their moral and social obligations.
Farid Khattak urged that they should cooperate with the teachers and admit every child to school so that the next generation not being suffered from poverty and ignorance.
District Education Officier of Khyber Muhammad Shaukat, additional director Noor Alam Wazir, assistant district education officer Misal Khan Shalmani, principal Bahadar Khan Shinwari, assistant district education officer development Shandi Gul Afridi were also present on the occasion.
