ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: The government has approved 14 projects relating to the education sector reforms at a cost of Rs205.738 million, an official source told Dawn.
The source said the projects were approved during a recently held meeting of the departmental development working party (DDWP) of the education ministry.
The meeting sanctioned construction of a hostel for girl students at the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. A Rs6.31 million project approved on the occasion related to improvement of Margalla College for Women, F-7/4.
A Rs38.3 million scheme was also approved for the award of stipend to the indigent students. The scheme will include new provisions for the welfare of orphan students, but with a condition that allocations for disabled children should be added to the strength of the scholarships meant for normal students.
It was decided to establish a book bank under a scheme that would cost Rs39.914 million. It aims at encouraging local authorship, while the project books will be reviewed by a committee, comprising chief educationist, joint education adviser etc.
The meeting, however, deferred consideration on a project for the construction of administrative and hostel blocks at the teachers’ academy of the University Grants Commission. The project was postponed with a decision that it would be reconsidered when the teachers’ academy was revived.
A scheme costing Rs10.797 million was endorsed for the education of talented students from rural and under-developed areas reading in cadet colleges/public schools.
Similarly, a Rs26 million grant was sanctioned for the establishment of community primary schools in Fata, Fana, AJK and Islamabad Capital Territory, under public-private partnership, for the implementation of government’s education policy. Out of the total amount allocated for the purpose, Rs18.807 million would be funded by the government, while the remaining was to be generated through local communities.
The meeting also approved a Rs10.604 million project for strengthening of National Education Foundation (NEF) and implementing innovative programmes under the education sector reforms (ESR). It has been decided that regional offices and other components being established under the project will be abolished when the respective federally administered agencies establish their own education foundations.
A project for the provision of free text books to the students of federal government schools in the ICT was sanctioned in principle with the directions that it should be introduced year-wise, starting from class-I to class-III. The meeting decided that extension in the scheme would be considered on the basis of its outcome during the first three years of implementation.
Another Rs9.454 million project was endorsed for starting early childhood education class in the ICT.
A project for the establishment of national education for all unit in the EFA wing of the education ministry was also given a go ahead signal.
In addition to this, the meeting sanctioned a project for the development of a national museum of science and technology, Lahore, with a cost of Rs35.472 million. Another Rs10 million project was approved to develop pilot project on science video text books.
During the meeting, absence of Brig (Rtd) Maqsoodul Hassan, director-general of Federal Directorate of Education, was badly felt.