PESHAWAR: The UNDP’s Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas on Friday provided furniture for students and teaching staff in government primary and high schools in three union councils of the provincial capital.

A ceremony in this regard was held at government high school in Academy Town of Sufaid Dheri union council here. Provincial lawmaker Yasin Khalil, RAHA’s national programme director Arshad Majeed Mohmand, advisor to chief minister on environment Haji Fazal Elahi, additional director education Hamid Mehmood, RAHA’s provincial programme manager Shukriya Syed, teachers and elders was also in attendance.

The participants were informed that RAHA, with the financial assistance by the government of Japan, had provided furniture to 12 boys and six girls’ schools in Malkanddhair, Sufaid Dheri and University Town union councils of Peshawar, benefiting around 8,788 students. Similarly, furniture had been provided to teachers of these schools.

RAHA’s national programme director, Arshad Mohmand said the furniture facility had been provided on the demand of the local community.

Additional director education Hamid Mehmood said the education department had estimated a budget of Rs7 billion to overcome deficiency of furniture in government schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He stressed the need for enhancing education budget up to four per cent of the GDP.

Advisor to the chief minister, Fazal Elahi informed the participants that the government had inducted more than 8,000 teachers in a transparent way to overcome the teachers’ shortage in schools.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Yasin Khalil, said all resources were being utilised to provide better facilities at government schools as the PTI-led provincial government accorded top priority to education. “The provincial government has introduced a uniform education system and done away with the class-based education,” he claimed.