KOHAT: The contesting candidates and other participants at a multiparty convention held here on Thursday agreed to commit to a charter of demands that is based on the requirements of parents, teachers and community members to improve the condition of schools and quality of education.

In case these candidates win their elections on July 25, the charter wouldbe a reminder as well as a template for them to work for education reform in their constituencies.

The candidates committed to provide transportation for girls, construct more classrooms and improve data regime on priority basis.

Say more facilities needed for girls

Of the 77 contesting candidates in the district only a few turned up at the convention, which was organised by Alif Ailaan, and attended among others by Shehryar Afridi and Ziaullah Bangash of PTI and Qalbe Hassan of MMA. It was held in Bacha Khan Library.

The purpose of the function was to analyse the five-year education plans of the contesting candidates for ensuring quality education in the government schools.

Analysis of the educational landscape in Kohat revealed that availability of schools beyond primary access, quality of education and gender disparity were the three most important factors contributing to failing education standards.

For every eight primary schools, there was only one middle school. Lack of schools beyond primary level explains why there was a drop in the enrolment rate at higher levels.

Shortage of subject specialist teachers also contributed to the decline in learning levels. Currently, there are several vacant posts of subject specialist teachers in schools of Kohat. Speaking at the session, Mr Bangash spoke of having the data regime improved, if elected, so that a correct analysis of student-teacher requirements could be made.

Shehryar Afridi promised to provide free transport for girls to help them attend school regularly and suggested the parents and teachers to be more involved in their children’s education by attending more parent-teacher meetings and sitting with them for their homework.

Qalbe Hassan said that he would focus on increasing classrooms in schools to fix the space issue and support girls education that had long been ignored in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2018