May 6, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 5: The European Commission has okayed Euro 20 million (about Rs1.28 billion) grant for Pakistan’s educational development to be undertaken by the Aga Khan Foundation over the next five years.

According to a statement issued here by the foundation, the grant mainly aims at improving access to knowledge, and quality and sustainability of education for in-school and out-of-school children, with increased gender equity and the participation of communities in the Northern Areas and Chitral.

Federal Education Minister Zobaida Jalal will be the chief guest at a signing ceremony to be held in this regard here on Tuesday at the Ministry of Education.

A Northern Pakistan Education Programme will be implemented by the Aga Khan Education Services in the Northern Areas and Chitral region from May 9.

It will complement the government’s education sector reforms’ priorities, including teacher development, better educational management, enhanced community participation, increasing access and retention, quality improvement, and institutional capacity building for the government education system.

The project specifically responds to the increasing demand for quality education for girls and will try to fill the gender gap in education in the region. It will also contribute to socio-economic development by increasing the number of educated adults and by widening the scope of employment.

This aim will be achieved by increasing access to schools through building classrooms, setting up coaching centres and non-formal education centres, improving teacher training, building professional capacity courses and material development.