ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew CMG visited Mardan on Friday where he toured two schools and a basic health unit. The schools are being supported through the UK’s education sector programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a statement issued by the British High Commission here said. The programme comprises both financial support to the Elementary and Secondary Education Department in Pakhtunkhwa and a school reconstruction and rehabilitation programme carried out by an international construction firm, IMC. The boys’ government higher secondary school in Mayar has been revamped by the IMC to include 13 classrooms, new offices for the principal and for administration, and a new toilet block with 11 washrooms, including one for children with disabilities. The girls’ Government Higher Secondary School in Par Hoti will have 19 new classrooms which will allow many more girls to attend the school. When fully functional, the two schools will help educate more than 2,100 students, including 1,260 girls. Drew also visited the Basic Health Unit in Sheikh Maltoon, supported by the UK aid. The unit provides basic out-patient and preventive health services, including nutrition, family planning and routine immunisation for the under-privileged local communities in the area. He met a community group that plays an important role in helping services to better reflect local needs. He also met the Provincial Minister for Education Muhammad Atif Khan and the Provincial Minister of Health Shahram Khan Tarakai, and discussed provincial public service priorities and the UK’s on-going support programmes in the education and health sectors. Talking about his second visit to Pakhtunkhwa in two weeks, Drew said: “I was delighted to visit Mardan today to see for myself how the UK is working with local schools and healthcare providers to improve education and health in the province. I was able to discuss with the provincial ministers for education and health their priorities in these areas and how we work together to maximise the impact of UK aid.” “While visiting the two schools, I was able to see for myself how our support for construction work is allowing more young people to go to school and have a better learning environment; and how our support to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is improving the quality of teaching and learning.”