DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The educational programs including literacy for all program in Fata project, basic education community schools (BECS) and national commission for human development (NCHD) centers in merged districts project are facing administrative and financial challenges, affecting the delivery of educational services in way-off areas.
While four approved projects have been removed from its Annual Workplan and stopped a new batch in the scholarship program despite their approval by the relevant forum, sources disclosed. These programs are run by Merged Areas Education Foundation (MAEF) aimed at improving literacy and to ensure provision of education opportunities in militancy-hit-tribal areas
Sources further sharing details said the performance of the education foundation was remarkable in the last two decades but unfortunately its performance worsened since the last 14-months after transfer of the incumbent Managing Director on political grounds which halts implementation on four approved projects to bring back the expected out of school children under these projects.
Apart from the Managing Director of education foundation, a number of other officers, allegedly deputed on political influence are performing their duties who came from information department, elementary and secondary and higher education department of KP. Most of them are teachers leaving their original duties of teaching in education institutions, sources revealed.
Currently, about 40,000 students enrolled in around 420 community schools run by MAEF across tribal districts needs swift measures to save the future of thousands of children, sources regretted and saying an effectiveness and political interference have undermined the foundation’s performance
Students, enrolled in community schools are being coerced to leave their studies after nonpayment of teachers’ salaries for the last 25 months and expiry of the projects PC-1 on June 30, 2025 for LFA project and June 30, 2026 for BECS and NCHD project which can cause closure of educational institutions for 40,000 students, they revealed.
Noor Nawab, a teacher in community school under MAEF told this scribe that he along with 200 other teachers have not received salaries for the last two and half-years despite going to schools on a daily basis. He clearly said they are now confused in terms of receiving the due salaries after Governor Rule and Emergency in 12-districts
Managing Director of the MAEF Fareeha Paal did not comment over the issue despite being contacted for her comments over the matter
Sources along with male and female teachers have asked Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Chairman of the Board of Directors of MAEF and Additional Chief Secretary of Area Development Secretariat to take action for foundation’s restoration, mismanagement and political interference.
It is worth mentioning here that a survey conducted in 2021 under Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has stated 74.4 percent of girls and 38.5 percent of boys in the age group (05 to 16) years are not attending school in merged districts. In merged districts, the out of school children ratio has risen in the past few years and crossed the figure of 1.2 million as per the Benazir Income Support Survey (BISP) initiated in 2021.
