‘3% of girls in FATA educated’

K-P governor tells officials to accelerate work on FATA University.

PESHAWAR:

The literacy rate for girls in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) is just 3%. This is in stark contrast to boys, 29.5% of whom are literate. These figures were shared in a briefing on education development in Fata at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor House here on Friday.

K-P Governor Masood Kausar presided over the meeting. He told officials to accelerate work on FATA University and the six cadet colleges planned for the tribal areas.

Fata education director explained that three sites have been identified for Fata University and the committee constituted for the selection would finalise its recommendation “soon”.

Regarding the cadet colleges, the governor was told that one out of six proposed cadet colleges had started working in Wana, while the work on the remaining five colleges in Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, Orakzai and Bajaur is underway.

The governor was further informed that over 33,000 college students from Fata were given scholarships worth Rs160 million last year.

The total number of educational institutions in the area is 5,620, of which 2,349 are for girls, according to the education director. He said the education budget in Fata had been increased by 117 per cent during the past three years, while 587 educational institutions were damaged by militants during the same time. He added that the reconstruction of these schools would cost around Rs3 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2011.