Improving female literacy: Education programme expands to 8 districts

PESHAWAR:

The provincial government has facilitated development of 192 girls’ schools in two districts to improve female literacy in the province.

The effort was part of a pilot program costing Rs172 million being implemented in Dera Ismail Khan and Buner, said Farid Khattak, the education sector reforms unit’s deputy director.

“We began by constructing rooms, boundary walls and toilets,” Khattak said, adding that electricity, water and furniture have also been provided.

“To identify the urgent need of a school, teams of engineers visit the locality and estimate the cost according to basic needs. Then we pay the money to the Parent Teacher Council (PTC) and they are responsible for all the work,” he said.

Initially, 101 schools in Dera Ismail Khan and 91 schools in Buner district were identified to be part of this project. It will now be extended to eight other districts, including Karak, Nowshera, Haripur, Lakki Marwat, Upper Dir and Lower Dir, Mardan and Swabi.

The responsibility of the PTC is to keep a check on those schools where teachers are not regular. The attendance record of students will also be checked.

Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Sardar Hussain Babak said female education has been prioritised, adding that higher secondary schools, a college and a university will be built. Our objective is to encourage girls to seek education, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2012.