PESHAWAR, Jan 19: The NWFP government has opposed an international funding agency's idea of assigning role to the newly-formed Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to recruit low-grade employees in the provincial public sector schools, official sources told Dawn here on Monday.

"The move, if executed, would make a mockery of things, giving birth to a host of complex administrative issues," said a well-placed officer of the provincial government.

The provincial government had recently communicated its opposition to the donor agency's idea of assigning a limited role to PTAs in making appointments of low grade employees in the provincial public sector schools.

The provincial government, in fulfilment of a condition of an agreement with the World Bank, constituted over 20,000 PTAs in as many primary schools across the province.

The PTAs - comprising representatives of parents, the area notables, one of the retired officers of a provincial government in the area and headmaster or headmistress of the primary school concerned - have been formed with an aim of arresting absenteeism among the teachers and ensure provision of basic facilities to the primary schools.

To improve facilities at primary schools across the province, the newly-formed entities have also been allocated over Rs247 million to carry out small development schemes during the 2003-04 financial year. However, the donor agency's idea of giving PTAs some role in recruitment drew resistance from policy-makers of the province.