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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P to hire 3,000 college staff
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has approved the recruitment of more than 3,000 educated youth on a ten-month contract in degree colleges across the province during the current academic year. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting at the Higher Education Secretariat, chaired by Minister for Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Meena Khan Afridi. Provincial Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Faisal Tarakai, Minister for Agriculture Sajjad Barkwal, and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Excise and Taxation Khaliqur Rehman also attended. The committee reviewed the shortage of teaching and support staff in degree colleges and decided to fill the gap immediately. The recruits will be offered competitive salaries, with special allowances for those posted in hard-to-reach areas. Minister Afridi said promoting higher education is a top priority and that all resources are being utilized to strengthen the sector. He assured that the hiring process would be transparent and in line with market standards. Officials said the move would enhance academic capacity and improve learning opportunities for students across the province. It may be recalled that in June, Minister for Elementary Education, Faisal Khan Tarakai, announced a series of robust measures to tackle the shortage of schoolteachers across the province. Speaking to the media, he stated that recruitment of school teachers through the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) is currently underway to ensure merit-based hiring of qualified educators. Under the Double Shift School Program, teachers are also being appointed on a temporary basis via Parent-Teacher Councils. Additionally, recruitment is ongoing in various districts under a UNICEF-supported initiative. The minister further revealed that interns are also being hired this year under a new scheme to support schools facing acute shortages. Emphasizing the importance of teacher presence in classrooms, Minister Tarakai said, "Every classroom must have a teacher, this is non-negotiable. We are committed to ensuring the availability of at least one teacher in each classroom across the province." He also highlighted the role of the Education Management Information System (EMIS), stating that comprehensive teacher data is being collected to guide effective planning and deployment. "We are focusing heavily on teacher training, and have finalized an agreement with the University of Cambridge to provide professional development for newly recruited teachers through ETEA," he added. The education minister also stressed the government's commitment to digital learning, stating that e-books and digital resources are being prioritized.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
School Education Department to step up competitive exam coaching in Coimbatore
The School Education Department plans to enhance competitive exam coaching for government school students in Coimbatore district, as part of the Naan Mudhalvan scheme. Coaching is offered for 20 exams across streams such as Engineering, Law, Design, Indian Maritime University (IMU), Arts, Science, Commerce, Hotel Management, Paramedical, Architecture, Teaching, and Education, for students from Classes IX to XII. Each month, eight sessions are held with changing subjects. Topics are introduced at a basic level in Class IX and become progressively detailed by Class XII. An official from the School Education Department said that, in addition to the existing coaching modules, the department is planning to conduct weekly special classes on Saturdays for students who express interest in focused exam preparation. 'Teachers will be trained in specific subjects, and coaching is planned to be conducted at 15 centres — one in each block — to improve student performance,' the official said. Currently, two hours of weekly coaching are held in high-tech labs on working days using Naan Mudhalvan video materials, followed by explanations. Periodic tests are conducted, and student performance is tracked through the Education Management Information System (EMIS). In the previous academic year, 95 students from government schools appeared for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), 262 for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, 13 cleared JEE Advanced, 21 wrote the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam, two appeared for the National Institute of Design (NID) entrance test, three for the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) All India Selection Test (AIST), and seven for the National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination (NCHM JEE). The government covered the exam fees, spending ₹10 lakh in total. For students who secure admission to central government institutions or other premier colleges, the State government either bears the cost or facilitates sponsorship, the official added. On Friday, four students who cleared competitive exams and secured admissions were felicitated by Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar. K. Brindha from Kinathukadavu Government Higher Secondary School cleared NCHM JEE and secured admission to the Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai. S. Dhanushasri, M. Sujatha, and Layadharshini cleared the FDDI AIST and are awaiting allotment.
Express Tribune
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt moves to fix teacher shortage
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Education, Faisal Khan Tarakai, has announced a series of measures to tackle the shortage of teachers across the province. Speaking to the media, he stated that recruitment of teachers through the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) is currently underway to ensure merit-based hiring of qualified educators. Under the Double Shift School Program, teachers are also being appointed on a temporary basis via Parent-Teacher Councils. Additionally, recruitment is ongoing in various districts under a UNICEF-supported initiative. The minister further revealed that interns are also being hired this year under a new scheme to support schools facing acute shortages. Emphasizing the importance of teacher presence in classrooms, Minister Tarakai said, "Every classroom must have a teacher — this is non-negotiable. We are committed to ensuring the availability of at least one teacher in each classroom across the province." He also highlighted the role of the Education Management Information System (EMIS), stating that comprehensive teacher data is being collected to guide effective planning and deployment. "We are focusing heavily on teacher training, and have finalized an agreement with the University of Cambridge to provide professional development for newly recruited teachers through ETEA," he added. The education minister also stressed the government's commitment to digital learning, stating that e-books and digital resources are being prioritized. "Tablets and internet connectivity will be integrated into the education system. We are modernizing our infrastructure to ensure that our children are equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century," said Tarakai.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Government formulating action plan for State Child Policy
The State government is formulating an action plan for the State Policy for Children, said Johny Tom Varghese, Director of Child Welfare and Special Services, at a State-level consultation in Chennai on Wednesday, ahead of World Day Against Child Labour. The consultation was organised by the Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL) Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He was speaking in a panel discussion on Collaboration between CACL and Government to Eradicate Child Labour. Speaking on Uninterrupted Childhood: Confronting New Realities and Formulating Strategies to Eradicate Child Labour, the Director pointed out the newly announced initiative 'Urimai Mutrum' will tackle child safety, healthy relationships and drug-related effects in the beginning phase. 'The School Education and the Children Welfare departments will work together for this initiative,' he said. Further to ensure that children who are deemed in need of care and protection continue to remain in school, Mr. Varghese stated that through the Child Welfare Committees , the child would be registered in the Education Management Information System and tracked if they miss school for over 15 days. 'An individual child care plan on nine categories is formulated and a State-level programme management unit with the School Education department will be formed to follow up on the child. We are aiming for 100% enrollment,' he stated. Advocate David Sundar Singh touched upon the various legal services offered by the State Legal Service Authority while Deputy Commissioner of Labour Ramesh Kumar spoke about the department's role in eradicating child labour. It is learnt that the action plan for the policy is expected to be out by July-end.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Chennai: Overloading of vehicles with schoolchildren raises concern among parents
As schools across Tamil Nadu reopened on Monday (June 2, 2025) after summer vacation, the sight of private autorickshaws and vans overloaded with children have become a common sight on the already congested roads in Chennai. This has caused concern among parents. 'Neither the school authorities nor drivers seem to want to take responsibility for the safety of the children. In the event of an accident, who will be to blame?' asked Vidya Rajkumar, a child rights activist and a parent herself. According to a State Government Order, an autorickshaw can only carry a maximum of five children up to the age of 14 or three adult passengers, excluding the driver. R. Anushka, a Class 8 student at a private school, recounted the time when there were six children, including her, in an autorickshaw. 'One of them was seated beside the driver, which is dangerous,' she added. In 2024, the School Education Department issued guidelines for school buses run by private schools, which included the mandatory appointment of female assistants, employment of drivers with a minimum experience of 10 years and no police cases against them, and installation of GPS and closed-circuit television cameras in the vehicles. The schools had to upload the details of the vehicles, drivers, and assistants on the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal. Background checks Principals of schools in the city said the parents had a responsibility to thoroughly vet the drivers and their vehicles before they hire them. 'We have advised the parents to check the drivers' background and inspect the vehicles before availing themselves of the services,' said N. Vijayan, correspondent of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School, in Tambaram. 'There has been no checking of these vehicles. As a working parent, we do vet the drivers, but it has become common practice for them to pack as many children as they can into their vehicles,' said K. Rupa, the parent of a 13-year-old. S. Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association, said the School Education Department should issue a circular to the other departments and schools regarding the issue. 'But the traffic police and Transport Department should also come forward and take action to curtail the issue,' he said. A senior official of the Greater Chennai Traffic Police said no complaints regarding the problem had been received. 'When complaints are filed, action can be taken, and a special drive will be conducted to crack down on such practices,' the official added.
