PESHAWAR, Dec 11: The provincial government has decided to run a second shift (evening) from April next year, with the help of private sector, in government schools all over the province.

Speaking to newsmen here at the Tourism Department on Tuesday, provincial Education Minister Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani said that if there had been private-public sector involvement in education , literacy rate in backward areas of the country.

The government, he said, had created a new directorate to deal with public-private partnership project.

Sensing hardship faced by students in remote areas, who used to visit towns purely for seeking education there, the government had decided to run a second shift system.

Mr Gilani urged private limited, public limited companies, NGOs and various welfare trusts to come forward and join the project.

He said that all those institutions or individuals, who aspired to be partners, they must get themselves registered.

The minister said that a partnership agreement would be for five years, but it could be extended.

“ They will be bound to pay 10 per cent of the fees collected, to the relevant school for maintenance purposes. They will also contribute to water, power and gas charges”, he clarified.

The minister said that three universities — one in Chakdara, Malakand Division, the other in Mansehra and an IT University in Kohat— had proved to be fruitful institutions.