PESHAWAR: All Primary Teachers Association (APTA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Azizullah Khan has urged the provincial government to complete the regularisation of 14,000 teachers at the earliest and implement its decision to upgrade primary school teachers.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, he said a separate directorate for primary education was also needed to improve administration and address the issues confronting 27,626 schools, 5.65 million students and 96,990 primary teachers across the province.
Mr Khan said the previous PTI government had approved up-gradation of primary school teachers, but the decision had yet to be fully implemented. He expressed the hope that education minister Arshad Ayub and secretary education Khalid Khan would take effective measures in this regard.
He said the regularisation process of 14,000 teachers had entered its final stage following approval of the summary by the provincial cabinet.
He added that a final meeting between the Elementary and Secondary Education Department and the Law Department was scheduled for Sept 28, after which the regularisation bill would be presented before the provincial assembly.
The APTA president also called for restoration of naib qasid and sanitation staff posts in boys’ primary schools and appointment of female support staff, or khalas, in girls’ schools.
Regarding school-based assessment, he urged the director of the Directorate of Curriculum and Teacher Education (DCTE), Gohar Ali Khan, to constitute a team comprising education experts and experienced primary teachers to review assessment material according to students’ age and learning capacity.
He also proposed a uniform semester system for government and private schools throughout the province, suggesting April-October as the first semester followed by November-March semester.
Mr Khan welcomed the government’s decision to reduce the curriculum and textbook burden at the primary level, saying the move would help improve basic learning skills, reduce pressure on children and potentially lower dropout rates.
Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026
