KP govt to provide free textbooks, school bags for students

PESHAWAR: The Cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, held a prolonged meeting to reach a very important set of decisions for the benefit of the province and the general public in various sectors, including health, education, water supply, public health, tourism, environment, sanitation, energy, and power.

The meeting was attended by several key members, including cabinet members, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Administrative Secretaries, and Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Among the significant decisions taken at the meeting was the decision to allocate a supplementary grant of Rs. 1 billion for “Provision of Free Textbooks and School Bags in Merged Districts.”

This will provide educational materials and promote education and literacy in the merged districts. The cabinet instructed all concerned authorities to formulate a comprehensive scheme to provide school bags to all school-going children, starting with out-of-school children being enrolled during the ongoing campaign.

The cabinet highlighted the significance of fundamental education for children and reiterated their conviction to ensure that every child in the province has access to basic education.

To achieve this target, they emphasized the timely printing of textbooks and improvement in the quality of educational materials while also lowering associated costs.

The cabinet also instructed the Education Department to settle any outstanding dues expeditiously as a demonstration of the priority afforded to settling financial obligations of the department’s operating expenses on time.

This endeavour is a substantial initiative to promote education and literacy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the merged districts, especially where access to quality education is worse than in other areas of the province.

This initiative of providing free books and school bags to students represents a push for greater enrollment, reduced dropout rates, and improved academic performance.

The cabinet is committed to improved and equitable education opportunities for families, and the consequences of this initiative are likely to have rippling effects throughout the education system in the province.