08 March 2005	Tuesday	26 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, March 7: Around six million children of primary age group are out of schools due to rampant poverty and lack of facilities at schools, the National Assembly was told on Monday.

According to the records placed before the lower house by the federal education minister, Lt-Gen (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi, six million children of primary age group were reportedly out of schools.

The main reasons, quoted in the written reply to a question, asked by Ms Kashmala Tariq, were rampant poverty and lack of facilities in schools behind this sorry state of affairs.

Besides, parents lack of understanding of the value of education; high cost of sending to schools, as these children provide help at work and home; distance from schools, and not motivated teachers are some of the factors, which can be attributed in this regard.

It is worth mentioning here that international donor agencies are of the view that Pakistan is unlikely to meet targets set under Education For All (EFA) scheme. As part of the EFA, by 2015, all primary schools age group children should be provided educational facilities. However, on the other hand, millions of rupees have been shown as expenditures under the various headings including purchase of vehicles, purchase of furniture and fixture, repairs of furniture and fixture and others.

In reply to another question, the minister said, allocation under the heading of repair of furniture and fixture during the financial years 2003-04 and 2004-05 stood at Rs175,000 each.

Likewise, allocations in the name of purchase of furniture and fixture, for the financial year 2003-04 were Rs200,000 and during 2004-05 were Rs300,000. Total budget allocation under the head 'others' during the financial year 2003-04 was Rs587,606 and during the fiscal 2004-05 was Rs900,000, the minister said.

To another question asked by Mohammad Safdar Shakir, the minister informed the lower house that during the financial years 2003-04 and 2004-05, four new vehicles, two 1600 CC and two 1300 CC Toyota Corollas, were bought by the education ministry.

These new vehicles are being used by the federal education minister, state minister for education, parliamentary secretary for education and secretary education. The total cost of four vehicles comes to Rs4,015,757. Overall, at present, there are nine vehicles under the use of education ministry.

To a similar question asked by Muhammad Safdar Shakir that what was the total allocation and expenditures incurred on the maintenance, repair and POL of the vehicles during the financial year 2003-04, the education minister said under the heading of maintenance and repair of transport, total budget allocation was Rs811,000, of which Rs810,326 were spent. Whereas, out of the budgetary allocation under the heading of POL charges, Rs1,000,000 and Rs999,991 have been shown as expenditure.