LARKANA, May 15: The Decentralized Elementary Education Project that was to be implemented over a period of six years, starting from 2003, has yet to be launched in Sindh.

Sources in the district government told this correspondent here on Saturday that the cost of the project was Rs5,880 million. The Asian Development Bank had to provide Rs4,538.124 million as loan while the rest of the amount had to be provided by the Sindh government, they further said.

Though, according to the PC-I, the project was to be undertaken from January 2003, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the scheme at its meeting held on April 23, 2003, and the Sindh secretary for education granted approval to it on Jan 15, 2004.

Sources said that the project could not be started due to the delay in receiving the loan.

The project includes upgradation of 1,200 primary schools, 65 per cent of which are girls' schools, to elementary level, establishment of 204 English medium schools and introduction of pre-primary education in 1,000 schools in the province.

The district Nazim said that the Larkana district government had identified 14 schools, two in each taluka, for converting them to English medium schools and 19 schools for upgradation to elementary level.

He said that the proposals were sent to the DEEP on Nov 17, 2003, but the district government was still waiting for the reply.

Sources said that the DEEP had verified lists of schools in Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Nawabshah districts and the same had been referred to the Provincial Steering committee for approval.

The sources said that distribution of free textbooks among girl students of VI, VII and VIII classes and construction of 1,400 lavatory blocks in different schools were also included in the project. Through public-private partnership, 100 schools having no buildings would be provided with buildings under the plan.

They said that the delay in the project implementation would have a negative impact on its target of improving the standard of education and literacy rate.

Under the foreign-funded Middle School Project, 179 school buildings out of 460 could be constructed.