Rs 600m needed for Swat schools' reconstruction

PESHAWAR (APP): Provincial Education Minister Sardar Hussain Babak has said that Rs.600 million were needed for the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure of schools in the restive Swat valley. In exclusive interview with APP here Thursday, Sardar Babak said that reconstruction of around 200 damaged schools in district Swat would take time besides huge funds were required for the rehabilitation process. He said that the government alone could not provide the huge sum for the reconstruction of damaged school buildings and asked for donors’, civil society and other welfare organizations financial help in this regard. The process of rehabilitation in the restive district of Swat would start once the peace process initiated by the provincial government gets matured, he said. In reply to a question, he admitted that ADP allocation for the education sector was not sufficient to meet the expenditures to be incurred on reconstructions of the schools and as new projects could not be initiated and basic requirements of students could not be met. However, he said that the Provincial government was aware of the significance of the education sector in the development of a nation and to ensure children’s access to schools was part of the ANP manifesto. He said that late Kudai Khidmatgar alias Bacha Khan had made invaluable efforts for spreading the light of education in every nook and corner of the Province and the provincial government would follow his footsteps and ensured transparent education system in NWFP. Referring to the measures taken by the government for strengthening of the education sector, he said that since the new government came into power nepotism has been ended in the appointment of teachers in various public sector schools besides promoting them to higher grades as per rule of the department. Moreover, he went on to add that the government was providing stipends to female and needy students besides giving free books up to the inter level. “We are also working on the syllabus and people would witness remarkable change next year”, he informed, adding that collective efforts were needed to enhance enrollment ratio. Answering a question, Provincial Minister said that strict action would be taken against teachers found guilty of corporal punishment and added that the government would ensure friendly environment to children in schools. He said that the entire Province has been divided in to four zones for streamlining the process of provision of furniture to the schools. Sardar Babak said that the ratio of schools was not increasing according to the needs of the growing population and called for focused efforts to provide education to every child.