PESHAWAR, March 14: Provincial Education Minister Maulana Fazle Ali Haqqani has said the NWFP government has foiled a move to make the curriculum secular. He was addressing a function organised by the Hamdard Thinkers Forum which was attended by a large number of educationists. Prominent among them were Dr Abdul Mateen, Dr Nasiruddin Azam Khan, Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan and Dr Salahuddin.

The minister said he was not satisfied with the education system. However, the government had taken several steps, which were unprecedented in other provinces, he said.

Maulana Haqqani said his government had recruited 40,000 teachers purely on merit. He also highlighted the grant of free books and Rs200 stipend for each female student in remote areas.

The steps taken by the authorities had resulted in increasing student enrolment by 500,000, he claimed. He said the provincial government was also promoting women’s education.

He said the NWFP government had increased the education budget by 20 times when compared to previous allocations.