KHAR: The political administration on Friday decided to start first year classes in at least two high schools of every tehsil of Bajaur Agency to facilitate hundreds of students, who couldn’t get admission in colleges due to shortage of seats.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held here on Friday chaired by Bajaur Agency political agent Syed Abdul Jabar Shah.

The meeting decided to start the higher secondary classes from the second week of September. It was also decided that ad hoc teaching staff would be hired for teaching these students.

The participants also decided to increase up to 30 seats in the Government Postgraduate College, Khar, to accommodate more students during the second shift.

Agency education officer Said Gul told the meeting that about 2,000 of the total 2,478 students had applied for admission to four colleges in the agency after passing their matriculation examinations this year. About 800 students got admission while the remaining were unable to do so due to limited number of seats, he said.

Mr Gul said that while number of students was increasing every year, no school was upgraded to higher secondary level in the last ten years, thus depriving a large number of students of education.

He urged the relevant officials to raise the issue of shortage of seats and colleges with the high-ups. He also highlighted the shortage of teaching staff and lack of facilities in the existing colleges. “At least 40 posts of teachers and lecturers have been lying vacant in the four colleges, including the postgraduate college, Khar,” he informed.

Government Postgraduate College, Khar principal Gul Badshah informed the participants that over 1,500 students had applied for admission in first year, but only 400 got admission due to shortage of seats. He said that second shift would be started from next month to facilitate the remaining students.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014