ISLAMABAD, May 7: The federal government on Tuesday released Rs3.5 billion supplementary grant to the provinces for the implementation of Education Sector Reforms (ESR), a source told Dawn.

The earlier release out of the grant was made by the education ministry on January 15. The next tranche was released with a little delay since it was scheduled to be released on April 15.

The official source said that out of the total grant, Rs2 billion had come through a US-Aid grant on November 2001.

The aid has been granted to Pakistan for the education sector, after a lapse of eight years. The grant was last released to Pakistan in May 1998, the source claimed, adding that Rs1.57 were allocated in the 2001-2002 budget for execution of different components of the education sector reforms (ESR).

The funds forwarded to the provinces have to be used in a project aimed at revamping of existing facilities in elementary education.

The amount of Rs2 billion was meant for improvement of existing primary schools in under-developed areas to increase enrolment of boys and girls by 15 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

The project suggested revamping of existing facilities of middle level education to increase enrolment of boys and girls by five per cent and 3 per cent, respectively. It asks for institutionalized field-based training of primary/elementary teachers and head teachers to improve performance in institutional management.

The funds were also meant for training of school management committees (SMCs) and parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to strengthen public/private partnership, community participation and ownership of school programmes.

The source said improvement of facilities in schools would be undertaken according to an area-based approach with launching of concentrated programmes in districts/Tehsils.

The funds have to be spent on projects in remote areas, and it will be ensured that the most under-developed districts are picked up, the source said.

He said primary and middle schools deficient in essential facilities in all provinces would be selected for provision of drinking water, toilets, electricity, furniture and buildings, in case of shelterless schools.

However, the projects will be implemented through the district governments on the basis of actual needs, he added.