PESHAWAR: Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shahab Ali Shah, chaired a review meeting focused on the Good Governance Roadmap Reforms for the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. Attendees included the Secretary of the Department and relevant officials.
During the meeting, it was announced that sports competitions will be organised for school students to encourage positive activities alongside education. These competitions will take place at various levels, including inter-school, inter-tehsil, district, divisional, and provincial levels. The meeting also stated that available land in schools has been identified, and a plan has been developed for constructing sports fields and providing indoor game facilities. Additionally, provincial-level competitions for speech, story writing, and spelling bees will be organised.
Under the Good Governance Roadmap, furniture has been provided to most schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the Education Department committed to supplying additional furniture based on demand. Steps are also being taken to enhance other basic facilities in schools.
To ensure a 90 per cent attendance rate among teachers, a digital system will be implemented in all higher secondary schools during the first phase. The Chief Secretary directed that a report on actions taken against absent teachers be submitted by October 10. The meeting revealed that the provincial cabinet has approved the outsourcing of poorly performing schools, starting with 500 schools, including those in merged districts. This outsourcing will not affect the teachers’ positions at these schools, and free education will continue, with all expenses covered by the provincial government.
The CCTV surveillance project for high-risk examination centres is progressing. A two-year transfer policy for education boards is being launched, and efforts are underway to recruit at least four teachers in primary schools through the Education Testing and Assessment (ETA) program. The shortage of teachers is being addressed through various sources, and initiatives are also being undertaken to alleviate the lack of classrooms. Collaboration with international development partners will assist in addressing the classroom shortage.
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The Chief Secretary emphasised that the Education Department should devise a plan to resolve classroom shortages in all primary schools, detailing the resources that will be used. This effort should be time-based to facilitate government decision-making and expedite solutions. The Finance Department and Planning & Development (P&D) should separately assess the initiatives outlined in the Good Governance Roadmap to ensure their timely completion.
Furthermore, progress is being made regarding reforms in the examination system. It has been decided in principle that upcoming board examinations will be conducted using a Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) and cluster-based method. Students will take examinations at the nearest cluster centre rather than their individual schools.
