Slow start: One smart school constructed in K-P
Official says such schools typically consist of six classrooms and cost Rs120 million
PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
Despite approving the construction of 200 smart schools in the whole province, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was able to construct only one such school in the last five months.
The provincial government had earmarked Rs10.3 billion for 64 on-going projects while Rs2.422 billion were allocated for eight new schemes in the budget for FY2016-17.
New schemes included: establishment of cadet colleges in Swat and Mardan, construction of 160 primary schools across the province, 100 secondary schools, six cluster hostels for female teachers, establishment of 1,300 community schools, conversation of 100 Maktab schools into regular primary schools, up-gradation of 50 primary schools to middle, 50 middle to high, 50 high to higher school and similarly to higher secondary school levels.
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Budget documents also showed that the government will construct 200 smart schools across the province, but there were no details of the allocation for this project.
However, a K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Department official on the condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune that the K-P government has allocated Rs1 billion for the construction of 200 smart schools.
The official said a smart school consisting of six classrooms will cost Rs120 million while currently communication and works department constructs a school of bricks and mortar by spending Rs150 million.
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He said the idea of smart school construction is very suitable as compared to schools construct by the C&W department.
K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Department Additional Secretary Qaiser Alam Khan told The Express Tribune that despite the province experiencing a severe financial crunch, developmental projects in the education sector have been running smoothly and no cuts have been made by the government in the allocation of the budget for education.
Alam said the project of smart schools may take more than one year to complete because the department has been facing problems in the allocation of required land in different parts of the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2016.
Despite approving the construction of 200 smart schools in the whole province, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was able to construct only one such school in the last five months.
The provincial government had earmarked Rs10.3 billion for 64 on-going projects while Rs2.422 billion were allocated for eight new schemes in the budget for FY2016-17.
New schemes included: establishment of cadet colleges in Swat and Mardan, construction of 160 primary schools across the province, 100 secondary schools, six cluster hostels for female teachers, establishment of 1,300 community schools, conversation of 100 Maktab schools into regular primary schools, up-gradation of 50 primary schools to middle, 50 middle to high, 50 high to higher school and similarly to higher secondary school levels.
Reshaping the future: ‘Education reforms to help students counter extremism’
Budget documents also showed that the government will construct 200 smart schools across the province, but there were no details of the allocation for this project.
However, a K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Department official on the condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune that the K-P government has allocated Rs1 billion for the construction of 200 smart schools.
The official said a smart school consisting of six classrooms will cost Rs120 million while currently communication and works department constructs a school of bricks and mortar by spending Rs150 million.
K-P to establish private schools authority
He said the idea of smart school construction is very suitable as compared to schools construct by the C&W department.
K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Department Additional Secretary Qaiser Alam Khan told The Express Tribune that despite the province experiencing a severe financial crunch, developmental projects in the education sector have been running smoothly and no cuts have been made by the government in the allocation of the budget for education.
Alam said the project of smart schools may take more than one year to complete because the department has been facing problems in the allocation of required land in different parts of the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2016.