PESHAWAR, Oct 4: The German agency for foreign assistance (GTZ) has agreed, in principle, a loan for education to the tune of euro 12.6 million to Pakistan for the purpose of strengthening the middle level education in Frontier.

A GTZ team led by Klaus-Werner Jonas on Saturday held a meeting with provincial minister for education Maulana Fazl-i-Ali and discussed with him the proposed programme.

Secretary of schools Shahid Amjad Afridi and chief planning officer Fazl-i-Manan were also present on this occasion.

The minister briefed the delegation about deficiencies in government’s schools and schemes proposed for removing the same. He said the provincial government had planned to update teachers’ ability by meeting their needs and also provide them all basic facilities of education to the people.

The GTZ delegation again held out an assurance to the government that the technical assistance of the agency to the NWFP government would be extended up to 2006. The technical assistance programme is scheduled to expire in 2004.

The delegation held an assurance that the agreement regarding the debt- for-education-swap would soon be singed under a guarantee from the Pakistan government.