KP govt to hire only female teachers at primary schools

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, in its unprecedented move, approved a proposal recommending appointment of only female teachers at government-run primary schools across the province.

The approval came after the months when the provincial cabinet earlier this week acted on the suggestions made by the KP Elementary and Secondary Education Department this year in January.

The education department would now ensure only women are hired on new government vacancies for the primary teachers.

In light of statistics reported by the elementary education department, there are 72,110 schoolteachers in 23,000 primary schools of the province. The male teachers constitute major chunk with stipulated figure 45,525 while there are 26,585 female teachers, the report revealed.

KP government is likely to employ 14,000 teachers for modern education, reports said.

The media advisor to education department, Najiullah Khattak, has also confirmed that the provincial cabinet led by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has approved the said proposal.

He further said that the department would begin hiring female teachers with start of new academic year this month (May).

Citing about modern education system in developed countries, the media advisor said that in all developed countries mostly women teach at the primary level. “Psychologically, children feel more comfortable with a woman than a man, as women provide a more caring and loving environment, hence children’s interest in school increases”, he added.

He went on saying that 88 percent of primary school teachers in United Kingdom are women, men account for only 12 percent, adding, at nursery level, 97 per cent of teachers are women.