PESHAWAR, July 29: The National Education Foundation has prepared a special project for the promotion of basic education in Fata, which is expected to cost about Rs450 million.
The project, to be jointly implemented by public and private sectors in collaboration with the respective communities, proposes setting up of 350 community schools in the seven agencies of the tribal belt, whereas 69 such institutions have already started working in the area.
This was informed to the NWFP Governor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, during a briefing held at the Governor’s House here on Monday.
Dr Mohammad Afzal Haq, managing director of the foundation, who is also the project director, while dilating upon the progress of the project apprised the governor about the achievements made so far in this connection.
The National Education Foundation, he added, was an autonomous subsidiary organization of the federal ministry of education, and had been entrusted with the responsibility of promoting basic education in Fata and this aim would be materialized through the joint efforts of the foundation, NGOs and the respective communities.
The schools to be established under this project, he said, would be handed over to the respective communities after their successful functioning for five years.
However, he added, during the period the foundation would extend financial assistance, whereas the NGOs would work as facilitator. The project also includes the provision of training facilities to the teachers as well as capacity building.
Speaking on this occasion, Iftikhar Hussain Shah said promotion of education in Fata was the top-most priority of the government and the establishment of community schools would definitely give great impetus to the efforts being made in this connection.
The governor stressed that to derive better results the foundation must make coordinated efforts and involve the directorate of education, Fata, in the implementation process.
He expressed the hope that the local teachers would be preferred in the recruitment against the vacancies in such schools. He assured full cooperation on behalf of the Governor’s Secretariat Fata in implementation of the project.
Besides, he also expressed the confidence that the training of teachers, especially the female teachers, would be arranged locally.
The governor while stressing on effecting maximum economy in the expenditure on the programme, said that the saving so made could be utilized for any other allied purpose.
The briefing was attended among others by secretary to governor Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad, secretary security (Fata) Brigadier Mehmood Shah and Director Education (Fata) Dr Abdur Rauf.