KP plans 72 Chief Minister Model Schools

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has directed the education department to begin immediate work on the legal framework for setting up 72 Chief Minister Model Schools across the province as part of the government’s education reform programme, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

Chairing a meeting on the initiative, the chief minister said the proposed schools would feature modern teaching methods, highly trained faculty and up-to-date facilities with the aim of providing quality education to students across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said every child had a fundamental right to quality education and reiterated the government’s commitment to improving learning outcomes and raising standards in the sector.

Mr Afridi said education reforms remained among the government’s top priorities and that broad, long-term steps were being introduced to tackle chronic problems facing the sector. He also said the government intended to develop the Chief Minister Model Schools into a benchmark for modern, high-quality education in the province, adding that spending on education amounted to investment in human capital, sustainable development and the province’s future prosperity.

Plan to cover all districts

The meeting received a detailed briefing on the proposed scheme and its preliminary framework. Officials informed participants that 72 model schools for boys and girls would be established in all districts of the province during the next fiscal year.

The estimated cost of the project was put at Rs9.5 billion. The briefing also said a separate legal and regulatory structure would be created for the schools, while a centralised board of governors would be formed to supervise their governance and administration.

Officials further told the meeting that the curriculum and assessment model for the new schools would differ from the conventional public school system and would be designed in line with contemporary education standards and future workforce needs.

Provincial Education Minister Arshad Ayub Khan and senior officials of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department attended the meeting.