SHANGLA: Adviser to the chief minister on education Ziaullah Bangash on Saturday denied calling teachers of the province unprofessional and incompetent.

“Our teachers are protesting against me over social media propaganda but let me tell them that I’ve never called them unprofessional and incompetent. They’re very talented, qualified and professional and therefore, they deserved respect,” he told reporters here after visiting schools and launching an enrolment campaign.

The director (education) and district education officers accompanied him.

Asks teachers to end strike declaring them talented, qualified and professional

The adviser asked teachers to end strike and work for further the cause of education in the province.

“Our 97,000 teachers have been striving to improve quality of education in far-flung areas. I hope that they will continue perform their duties to the best of their abilities,” he said.

Mr Bangash said he visited Kandia tehsil of Upper Kohistan district and found life there to be very difficult due to lack of roads.

He said he would submit a report to the chief minister seeking construction of roads to Kandia valley.

The CM adviser said the construction of roads would further the cause of education in the area.

He said the government was set to appoint 20,000 more teachers across the province.

The adviser said matriculates would also be among the teachers to be appointed as the government was struggling to find graduates for teaching posts in schools.

“I hope that reforms in the education sector will bring about the desired change in backward districts within two years,” he said.

Mr Bangash said the department had planned to enrol 0.8 million of the total 2.6 out-of-school children in schools during the ongoing campaign.

During a visit, he ordered action against Government Higher Secondary School Butyal’s principal for poor performance and frequent absence from duty.

He promised early measures to address staff shortage in the school.

ROAD BLOCKED: The residents of Kolai, Dara Madakhel and Batera areas again blocked the Karakoram Highway in Khogay Oba area near Bisham city on Saturday seeking the status of headquarters of Kolai-Palas Kohistan district for Batera.

They blocked the road for four hours shouting slogans against local MPA and provincial government over the cancellation of the district headquarters’ status for Batera and grant of the same to Sair Ghaziabad.

The speakers, including Qazi Saifullah, Mufti Ghulamullah, Rozi Khan and Junaid Khan, said the protesters would stay put until the government met their demand.

They said the administration cheated the local residents over the matter on several occasions.

The KKH’s blockade inconvenienced motorists and commuters.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2019