CHARSADDA, April 26: A government primary school was reopened in Shabqadar after one year while another school was closed over a row between the landowner and education department on appointment of a Class-IV employee in the same tehsil here on Thursday.

The primary school in Kabli village of Shabqadar had been closed in May 2011 when the landowner developed differences with education department over the appointment of a Class-IV employee. About 200 students suffered owing to closure of the school for one year.

However, the officials of education department convinced the landowner to reopen the school for the sake of students’ future. The demand of the landowner to appoint his man as Class-1V employee was also accepted. The education department ordered provision of teaching staff after reopening of the school to save precious time of children.

A large number of schools has been blown up in various localities of Charsadda by militants. The people of the area, particularly parents of students, have expressed satisfaction over reopening of the school and termed it a good omen for the area.

They appreciated EDO Attaullah Khan Miankhel for taking interest in reopening of the school. They said that sincere efforts of the EDO made it possible to provide an opportunity to the children of the backward area to get education at their doorsteps.

The one year-long closure of the school has deprived scores of students of the area of getting education as most of them can’t afford to go to schools in far-off areas.

Meanwhile, another school in Haleemzai area of Shabqadar was closed owing to the same reason -- dispute over appointment of employee. The landowner shut the main gate of the school as a protest when education department didn’t appoint his man as Class-IV employee.

He claimed that government had promised him that his man would be appointed as an employee if he provided land for setting up the school. The people of the area had complained that the non-local Class-IV employee was not performing his duty.