Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) school voucher program have dropped in to half in the last one year.
The Iqra Faroogh e Taleem Voucher program allows students from lower income groups to go to private schools in the province. The government pays their fees. The number of children in the program have dropped from 79000 to 34000 because of the government not paying the private schools.
This drop in students was verified by physical verifications carried out by the government.
The voucher comes under the Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation which has not released funds to school but has surrendered them to the province’s finance depot (around 3 billion).
According to an official in the department, the government has decided to restart payments from next month. He also added that the private schools have lost trust in the government because of their non-payment.
The KP Free and Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Act makes education free for every child below the age of 16.
The Iqra Faroogh e Taleem Voucher program allows students from lower income groups to go to private schools in the province. The government pays their fees. The number of children in the program have dropped from 79000 to 34000 because of the government not paying the private schools.
This drop in students was verified by physical verifications carried out by the government.
The voucher comes under the Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation which has not released funds to school but has surrendered them to the province’s finance depot (around 3 billion).
According to an official in the department, the government has decided to restart payments from next month. He also added that the private schools have lost trust in the government because of their non-payment.
The KP Free and Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Act makes education free for every child below the age of 16.