The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Muhammad Shehzad Arbab has directed the officers of the Elementary and Secondary education department to implement the proposed academic reforms initiatives without wasting any further time enabling the general masses to take benefit of the same and to complete the provincial government’s agenda of change in the education sector for the larger interest of the people.
He was chairing a high level meeting at his office on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by secretary education and other high officers. During the meeting the chief secretary was briefed in detail on the status of the reforms in education sector including establishment of an independent monitoring unit, recruitment of school based teachers, standardization of 400 higher secondary schools, restructuring of the textbook board, establishment of examination assistant commission, provision of missing facilities in schools, uniform curriculum, English as medium of instruction, training of teachers, publishing of books in English, revamping of Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation, provision of stipends to girls students, revamping of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, implementation of biometric system and many other.
The CS was told that district wise interviews for recruitment of monitoring and evaluation assistants had been completed and empowered governing bodies in the higher secondary schools regarding standardization of 400 higher secondary schools in the province. It was stated that summery along with the concept papers was being moved and need assessments completed with fresh requirements school wise. Moreover, provision of laboratory equipments and other necessary items in different schools had been worked out.
It was stated that consultants for both revamping of the BISE and Examination Commission leading towards uniformed curriculum had been engaged which would submit recommendations within the next three to four weeks. It was also disclosed that list of books to be devised by the Text Books Board had been approved. Moreover, books for Class-1 in English had been printed out.
During the meeting it was further stated that implementation plan for giving training to 23000 teachers had been prepared and in this connection master trainers had been trained in the English as medium of instruction. A monitoring plan had also been developed with the technical assistance of the GTZ and ASI experts. The CS was told that revamping of EEF had been approved by the Board of Directors and hiring of head hunting firm would be done by March this year. It was also disclosed that funds had been transferred to the PTCs accounts of girls schools and the stipends would be distributed among girls students as per approved criteria soon. Moreover funds for purchase of sports goods in girls schools has also been transferred to PTCs accounts.
Regarding implementation of the biometric system in the schools, concept papers along with advertisements on biometric attendance system had been shared with the IT department and a committee formed to devise reward and punishment system. The chief secretary directed for proper mechanism and speedy implementation of the reforms.
Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary Muhammad Shehzad Arbab also chaired a high level meeting regarding the proposed traffic plan in Peshawar and other areas in which various decisions were taken as how to streamline the heavy traffic load in the provincial metropolis.
Source: The Frontier Post.
