Rokhana Pakhtunkha Talimee Programme: 100 schools to be set up in 25 districts

The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has decided to finance the establishment of 100 schools in 25 districts as pilot project under its public-private partnership programme in education sector. According to senior officials in provincial government, an amount of Rs 500 million had already been allocated for the initiating of scheme.
Under the scheme, two union councils in each district will be selected where two schools per union council with one each for boys and girls will be established. First priority will be the establishment of high schools while middle schools will be the secondary priority. Similarly, the first priority will be backwards pockets, particularly rural areas, followed by subdivisions, tehsil other than district headquarters.
The programme, carrying Pashto title 'Rokhana Pakhtunkha Talimee Programme' will be launched as pilot project in those union councils, which are lacking either boys or girls or schools for both genders.
According to statistics the number of union councils in KP is 986 and those without boys' high schools are 158, without girls; high schools are 481 while the number of union councils lacking middle schools for boys are 95 and union councils without middle schools for girls are 281.
Situation analysis reveal the overall literacy rate in KP very low ie 53.2 percent (male 72pc and female 35.1pc) and a large number of union councils are without high and middle schools both in case of boys and girls. The alarming situation was calling for a major intervention by the government to assist the private sector in establishment of schools.
Under the scheme, private schools in those union councils will be assisted where no government high or middle school exists. The assistance will be in head of the payment of existing fee, which will be increased up to 40 percent, so as to strengthen the private sector. The assisted schools will be managed through Joint School Management Committee (JSMC) comprising of principal, community members and representatives of education department.
Under the programme, the pay of teachers will also be enhanced along with their training and improvement in physical learning environment. Such schools will be 100 percent financed for initial four years with gradual withdrawal during the next four years.
The programme will be extended during the next three years to cover all 600 union councils not having the facility of government high and middle schools.
Initial work on Rokhana Pakhtunkhwa Talimee Programme was started with approval of the concept on September 14, 2011, followed by a survey of all 25 districts and 985 union councils. The funds for the programme have also been released and transferred in the name of programme.