TIMERGARA: The master trainers of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elementary and secondary education department on Friday threatened to boycott trainings from next week if the government failed to pay them remunerations.

Talking to Dawn on Friday while requesting anonymity, several master trainers belonging to Swat and Dir districts complained they had been imparting English and Training Skills (ETS) training to primary schoolteachers under the British Council and KP government`s programme in various districts but they were not paid for it.

They said they had to travel to Chitral, Mardan and Buner on their own as there had been no fixation of remuneration for their travelling and stay.

Sources in the elementary and secondary education department told this reporter on contact that the government had signed the three-year Rs568-million teachers` training project with the British Council in July 2016.

About 100 master trainers from different districts of Malakand division were trained in February this year, who were then to train 83,000 primary schoolteachers across the province in order to enhance their teaching standard and improve students` learning of English at schools.

The sources said a total of 480 teachers were selected as mastertrainers by the British Council through transparent assessment criteria.

The master trainers from parts of Malakand division said they had hoped for a better return but it seemed later only a mirage.

They complained that the Directorate of Curriculum and Teachers` Education (DCTE) had been forcing them to conduct trainings in far off areas without any payment.

The master trainers threatened to boycott the programme if the concerned department did not announce proper remuneration for them.

VC TAKES CHARGE: Prof Gul Zaman on Friday took charge of vice chancellor of the University of Malakand (UoM), according to a press release issued by the varsity.

He was previously working as chairman of department of mathematics at the varsity. He has a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Pusan National University. He has graduated 16 research students and is currently supervising 19 more.

The new vice chancellor was given a warm reception by the employees on his arrival at the varsity.

Speaking to employees, he promised to work hard to solve all the pending issues and improve the ranking of the university at national and international level.Correspondent