PESHAWAR (Kashif U Din Syed): Serious irregularities have emerged during the second phase of teacher recruitment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising concerns about the transparency and fairness of the hiring process.
According to sources, district education officers (DEOs) in several districts allegedly awarded an additional 20 marks to candidates holding B.Ed and M.Ed degrees. This action has significantly improved the merit positions of certain candidates, despite the fact that no such provision was mentioned in the official recruitment advertisement.
The Director of the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) has deemed this practice illegal and contrary to established regulations. He reiterated that ETEA is required to adhere to the recruitment advertisement and existing rules, while DEOs are the authorized appointing authorities.
He further cautioned that granting extra marks outside the defined criteria could result in increased litigation, as the matter is likely to be challenged in court. This, he added, may delay the recruitment process for an extended period.
Sources within the Elementary and Secondary Education Department also confirmed that in multiple districts, DEOs awarded additional marks during the second phase of recruitment, despite the absence of any such clause in the official policy.
The situation is expected to escalate legally, which could hinder the timely completion of teacher appointments across the province.
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