MANSEHRA, Nov 19: Minister for Food Shujah Salim Khan has termed absenteeism a main reason behind what he called the mess in the education department in the district, saying more than half of teachers have been receiving salaries without performing their duties.

“The government spends over Rs1 billion annually on salaries and other expenses of the district, but absenteeism has marred performance of government schools and that’s why most of students fail board examinations,” he said at the golden jubilee ceremony of the Degree Collage here on Wednesday.

The minister said 8,000 of 14,000 male and female teachers had remained absent from their duties for many years, but had been receiving salaries every month, adding: “Such culture will not be tolerated in future and teachers who are found absent from duty will be dealt with strictly under the laws because we want progress in fields like education and health.”

Mr Shujah said if the federal government wanted to develop the country and put it on the path of prosperity it should cut the defence budget and increase the budget for education. He said it was difficult to bring major changes in the existing education system in the province because the government was short of funds.

He said the provincial government had approved 20 collages in current year’s fiscal budget, adding two of the colleges would be established in the Mansehra district.

Speaking on the occasion, NWFP Minister for Higher Education Qazi Asad said the provincial government was giving priority to the education department because the province could not make progress in any field if its people were not educated.

He said that to promote higher education among girls, two girls’ collages would be established in backward areas of Atarshesha and Tanawal in the Mansehra district.

ROAD PROJECT: Earthquake survivors have called upon the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority to resume work on reconstruction of the Balakot-Sirash road, otherwise they would hold protest demonstrations.