Uninterrupted electricity: Funds allocated to provide solar panels at govt schools

4,837 schools have received panels in last three years

PESHAWAR: At least Rs923 million has been allocated to provide solar panels at government schools to stem the power crisis that has created a network of challenges for students and teachers alike.

The initiative has been taken by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government and funds have been provided under the conditional grant programme.

According to a document issued by K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Department, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, this programme will be implemented through Parent Teacher Councils (PTC) across the province. Over the last three years, the government has already provided solar panels to 4,837 schools in 22 districts.



The document stated that the education department is also training PTCs on how to maintain the solar panels. More than 1,00o,000 children will be benefited by these solar panels. The solar panels have been provided in schools of the areas where electricity was scarce.

The panels not only provide power supply to the IT labs but to the entire building. The education department intends to continue providing this facility to the schools.

District-wise

The document indicates that so far four solar panels have been installed in Abbottabad, two in Bannu, 285 in Battagram, 49 in Buner, 327 in DI Khan, 1186 in Lower Dir, seven in Upper Dir, 74 in Hangu, 70 in Haripur, one in Kohat, 594 in Lakki Marwat, 384 in Malakand, 29 in Mansehra, 347 in Mardan, 327 in Nowshera, 382 in Peshawar, nine in Shangla, 211 in Swabi, 228 in Swat, 126 in Tank and 195 in Torghar.

Adviser to K-P Education Sector Programme Zunash Abbasi lauded the provincial government’s efforts, saying these solar panels will overcome the electricity problems in remote areas of various districts. “The incumbent government’s focus is on providing basic facilities in schools,” she said. “Parents are willing to enroll their children in government schools in the province now.”

Over the last two years, the education standard of government schools has been improved and almost all facilities have been provided to schools. This has restored parents’ trust in government schools.

Speaking to The Express Tribune Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Department Muhammad Atif Khan said, “Load-shedding has affected the education system, but we are making efforts to convert our schools to solar energy to solve this issue.”

He added, “We want to provide uninterrupted supply of electricity during school hours and for that we have shifted more than 4,500 schools to solar electricity.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2016.