PESHAWAR:
- Govt to ensure educational facilities throughout the province
- Chinese language centres to be established across KP
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak has approved the release of the already approved grants worth Rs284 million to the Frontier Education Foundation (FEF).
Besides, approving the up gradation of posts from BPS-16 to BPS-17 to the master degree holders and scholarships out of the endowment fund, he directed the concerned authorities to evolve a strategy to financially support the private colleges within the areas lacking public sector educational institutions. The government has taken these measures to promote education in the backward areas.
The CM issued these directives, while presiding over the 36th meeting of the Board of Directors of Frontier Education Foundation at the Chief Minister Secretariat, Peshawar.
KP Finance Minister Muzaffar Syed, Advisor to Chief Minister on Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, and the higher education secretary, Engineering University of Technology vice chancellor, NEF MD and others attended the meeting.
The meeting accorded approval to the previous meeting’s minutes and discussed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa China Economic Cooperation Plan and different strategies, the budget estimates of the foundation, the future plan for financial help to private educational institutions and a briefing was arranged in this regard.
The KP CM has said that government would ensure equal educational facilities throughout the province for the welfare of a society.
The chief minister has also agreed to the proposal of establishing Chinese language centres in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra in the backdrop of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In the second phase, such centres would be established in the southern districts and Malakand division that would enable the youth of the whole of the province to get the benefit of the CPEC and contribute to the process of development in the province.
During the meeting, the members were informed about the number of scholarships awarded to students from the different Chinese universities, adding that 100 scholarships have been arranged in the Shangdong Normal University and the scholars would be sent at the beginning of the first week of September.
The scholars have been given 50 per cent concession in tuition and residential fee. In Harbin Engineering University and Shanghai University, 100 scholarships on the same pattern have been given, while 40 scholarships were ready in the Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College for the diploma, while the province would secure scholarships of Ministry of Dalian.
The members were also told that belt and road commercial company has offered 75 per cent vocational, technical and professional training. The similar offer was also given by Beijing Hydes Commerce. 300 students who got scholarships would be formally sent to China after a special event in August 2017.
The chief minister was also told about four Chinese language centres in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra, out of which three language centres in Peshawar, Abbottabad and Haripur would be functional by August 10, 2017. During the meeting, the members were further informed about the process for the up gradation of multimedia languages lab of the Foundation.
The chief minister agreed to the procedure of scholarships by the Foundation.
During the meeting, the members were also informed about the census of the private education sector adding that it would be held in 14 districts of the province in the first phase that will cost Rs4 million. The chief minister agreed to it. However, he directed the concerned departments to follow the rules and regulations for the recruitment of managing director of Frontier Education Foundation. The process should be initiated after proper publicity and advertisement in the media. He also directed to increase the training period of the staff under faculty development programme.
The members were also told that the government directives were for 10 colleges of FEF and the lecturers were adjusted in different public sector colleges. However, the remaining staff was yet to be adjusted. The chief minister directed to set up a surplus pool and adjust the remaining staff.