PESHAWAR, OCT 22 (DNA) — The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur, presided over a key meeting of the Department of Education where he announced an education emergency to promote education in the province. As part of this initiative, the province will introduce an education card, similar to the Sehat Card. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be the first province in Pakistan to launch this program.

The Education Card will initially be started in nine underdeveloped districts, including Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai Palas, Torghar, Upper and Lower Chitral, Tank, and Upper and Lower South Waziristan. Children attending government schools in these areas will receive 1,000 rupees per month, and they will also be able to get free admission to registered private schools.

In the first phase, 40,000 children will benefit from this program. Additionally, girls in grades 6 to 10 across the province will receive 500 rupees per month as an educational stipend, benefiting around 550,000 girlsThe annual cost of this program will be 3.1 billion rupees, which will be funded by the provincial government.

Other benefits like free textbooks and scholarships will be consolidated under the Education Card.The Chief Minister also announced the creation of a 3 billion rupee Education Emergency Endowment Fund to ensure the program’s sustainability. —DNA