NWFP education budget goes up by 20 percent

NWFP Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education, Sardar Hussain Babak has said that Rs 4990.480 million were allocated in the current fiscal year budget for elementary and secondary education, which are 20 percent high as compared to corresponding year's allocation. He added that some 60 different schemes would be completed through the allocated funds during the current year.
He said besides completing 32 ongoing schemes, 28 new schemes would be started in education department that would be completed in the current year. He said, it would definitely improve the performance of the department on one hand and the literacy rate on the other hand. In his report about the performance of the department presented to the NWFP Chief Minister, Babak said in the pervious regime some schemes and facilities in education department had been restricted to certain districts but the present government has extended the above facilities to all the 24 districts of the province.
He further said that under the term of partnership Programme Rs 150 million have been released to all the 24 districts, while the previous government had restricted this facility to only 12 districts. He continued that the provincial government was providing a huge amount on giving free education to the talented students of the province in the 10 best educational institutions, the selection for which is made through ETEA, while more students of 7 backward districts have been provided opportunity in this programme.
He said that Rs 906.265 million were being spent in current financial year for distribution of free books among 4.5 million students of class 1 to 12. He said 227 Computer Labs have been established for providing modern age facilities at schools, while Rs 25 million have also been provided to extend this facility to all schools of the province.
Provincial Education Minister said for the promotion of education, an additional allowance of Rs 1000 is being provided to each female teacher of backward areas of six districts, which would enhance literacy rate in female of Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Tank, Dir Upper and Buner Districts.
He said that 134 libraries have been established in middle schools and books have been provided there so that co-curricular studies could be developed among the students. He said, the government would spend Rs 5.2 million for extending this facility to all the middle schools of the province.