LAKKI MARWAT: Teachers have expressed concern over the poor ranking of Lakki Marwat district in a report on educational performance across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The concern was shown at a meeting held in Lakki city on Saturday.

The participants expressed astonishment over the fact that Lakki was placed at 23rd position in the education performance report and said the public sector schools of the district always shined in academic and co-curriculum activities.

“In last year’s secondary school certificate examinations, 19 students of Lakki out of 22 got scholarships under provincial government’s Stori Da Pakhtunkhwa programme in Bannu education board,” said a teachers’ leader, adding 23 students of the district out of 40 were declared eligible for the said scholarship in last year’s higher secondary school certificate examinations.

Another participant said over 100 students of government schools of the district qualified written test held under Etea for award of scholarships and admission in centres of excellence.

“Over 50 students secured more than 70 per cent marks while a student from Lakki also topped the written test in the entire province,” he added.

The participants said heads and teachers increased enrollment in their respective institutions and also improved attendance of teaching and non-teaching staff.

“Despite achievements and improvement in performance indicators the poor ranking has shocked the entire teaching community,” said another participant, demanding of the quarters concerned to look into it.

They feared that consistent delay in filling vacancies of district education officer and deputy district education officer could be the main reason for poor educational performance of the district.

They revealed that the provincial government had assigned additional charge of DEO Lakki to DEO Tank.

SUSPECTED TERRORIST HELD: A suspected terrorist surrendered before police on Saturday.

A police official said Obaidur Rehman was wanted by police in cases of Shah Hasankhel suicide blast and attacks on city police station and office of district police officer.

The official claimed that the arrested terrorist was wanted by police for his involvement in both the terror incidents.

In January 2010, over 100 people, including LEAs personnel, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden pickup truck in a volleyball ground in Shah Hasankhel village.

A group of militants had also attacked city police station and office of district police chief in July 2009.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2019