By Mohammad Ali Khan | From the Newspaper
**PESHAWAR, March 7: The World Bank has allowed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to spend donors` money to reconstruct 70 public sector schools, destroyed by militants in areas other than Malakand division. **
“The international lending agency, which is currently channelising foreign donations under Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for the militancy-affected areas of Pakistan, has given a go ahead for reconstruction of 70 schools situated in seven districts of the province,” an official told Dawn .
The World Bank in August last year had launched MDTF to assist Pakistan in reconstructing and restoring livelihood in the conflict-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan.
The World Bank coordinates with international donors for reconstruction projects in the militancy-affected areas on behalf of the Government of Pakistan and so far $400 million have been pledged by different donors for reconstruction-related programmes.
“Since focus of MDTF was mainly on Malakand, while damage to public infrastructure had also taken place in other districts of the province, the government approached World Bank that allowed it going with projects in other areas too,” the official added.
A project for reconstruction and rehabilitation of 70 schools in seven districts including Bannu, Hangu, Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda Tank and Kohat had been approved under MDTF.
The official said that the schools would be reconstructed according to current enrollment needs and future demand, improved seismic safety and service delivery standards. Furniture and equipment would also be provided to those schools, he added.
“These 70 educational institutions include 38 fully and 32 partially destroyed primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools,” the official said.
Out of the 38 completely destroyed educational facilities, there are 20 girls and 18 boys schools while the 32 partially damaged schools include 17 for girls and 15 for boys.
“Since the issue of reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged schools in areas other than Malakand has not been taken up with any donor agency, this is the first proposal regarding reconstruction and rehabilitation of militancy-hit schools through MDTF,” the official added. The executive district officers of relevant departments in the district concerned would be responsible for implementation of the project. The elementary and secondary education department and works and services department would play their due role in planning, supervising, monitoring and implementation of the project, the official said.
He added that the project carried a cost of Rs1 billion, of which Rs400 million would be needed in the first fiscal year for construction and Rs600 million for next year that also included cost of equipment.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/08/wb-allows-govt-to-rebuild-schools-with-donors-money.html
wonderful news, militants can’t take away the gift of education from a child
i was thinking the militants only had a problem with girls getting an education but looks like boys schools have also been hit by militants.