LAKKI MARWAT: Chairman National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training and PTI MNA Col (r) Ameerullah Marwat has said investment in education is key to development.

He was speaking as chief guest at a furniture distribution ceremony among government schools at Tajazai here the other day.

The lawmaker said the PTI-led provincial government had declared education emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and spent billions of rupees on provision of basic facilities to public sector schools.

He criticised successive governments for violation of merit and selling jobs during their tenures and said the incumbent government made the recruitment process transparent through NTS.

“The recruitment of highly qualified and talented teachers has helped repose parents’ confidence in public sector schools, making them to get their children enrolled in state-run schools,” he said.

Underling the need for promoting research-based education and curbing cheating in examinations, Mr Marwat asked the teachers to impart quality education to students and build their character.

He said Rs30 million had been allocated for establishing a regional campus of Allama Iqbal Open University in Lakki, besides the government had appointed project director and released huge chunk of funds for setting up a full-fledged varsity in the district.

He said the approved project of setting up a cadet college in Lakki Marwat district had been included in the provincial Annual Developmental Programme and Rs780 million would be spent on it.

Earlier, district education officer Abdus Salam informed the participants that the district elementary and secondary education department had provided furniture worth over Rs59 million to public sector schools during the last three years.

He said the government-run schools had been provided with chairs, tables, two-seat benches and desks, both for teachers and students.

The higher secondary schools received chairs costing Rs9.99 million, he maintained, saying the high schools got chairs at a cost of Rs20 million.

The DEO said the education department spent over Rs29 million on provision of furniture to middle and primary schools.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2017