TIMERGARA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor and chancellor of public sector universities Iqbal Zafar Jhagra on Monday urged educationists to promote the cause of higher education and said youths needed proper guidance and counselling for growth.

He was addressing the fourth convocation of the University of Malakand as the chief guest here.

Degrees and gold medals were given away to the graduates of 2012, 2013 and 2014 academic sessions.

A total of 117 male and female graduates of the faculties of Biological Sciences, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Social Sciences, Education and Law got degrees and 55 gold medals.

The convocation was also attended by the Islamia College University Peshawar vice-chancellor, Abbotabad University of Science and Technology syndicate members, Malakand Division commissioner and former vice-chancellor of the University of Malakand.

The governor congratulated graduates and expressed pleasure at the growth of the university in a short time.

He congratulated VC Prof Johar Ali for the university being declared the second best in the province by the Pakistan Council of Science and Technology for 2015-16.

The governor said the university was a true seat of learning and that he was hopeful that it would attract students from abroad, too.

He ordered the supply of gas to the varsity and said male and female hostels would be established especially for the students of Fata and adjoining areas.

Professor Johar Ali presented the progress report on the occasion and said the university had improved a lot during the last few years.

TEST CANCELLATION DEMANDED: Scores of the people seeking jobs in education department on Monday demanded cancellation of the recent NTS tests for the posts of male and female CT, AT and TT at different parts of Lower Dir over cheating charges.

Shah Fahad told local reporters that candidates used mobile phones for cheating in tests without let or hindrance.

He said the candidates took the photographs of questions, sent them to relatives and got back answers by SMS.

Mr Fahad said the NTS test was just a drama and that he lost trust in the PTI’s tall claim of following merit in appointments.

Sajjad Ahmad of Talash said ostensibly, there’s no invigilator in the examination hall for women candidates in Khaima Timergara area.

He said even many outsiders went inside the hall and helped relatives solve papers.Also in the day, Qari Rehmatullah said the NTS test for Arabic and Theology teachers was totally out of course.

He told reporters here that only 30 per cent of course contents were related to Arabic and Islamiat courses, while 70 per cent contained contents of Science, Social Studies and other subjects.

Mr Rehmatullah said it seemed the government was not ready to appoint AT and TT teachers and that the recent test was only a gimmick.

He said the candidates, who sat the Sunday NTS test in Lower Dir, sought cancellation of the tests and hold free and merit-based test for different posts in the education department.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2016