Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, announced that the upcoming provincial budget will prioritize education with increased funding. The decision follows serious concerns about a shortage of textbooks, high dropout rates, and Pakistan’s poor performance in recent education rankings. The CM made these remarks while chairing a key meeting in Peshawar.
During the meeting, Gandapur ordered full merit in teacher hiring and urged swift action to improve teacher training. He also directed officials to open schools in rented buildings in underserved areas. According to state media, these efforts aim to address growing complaints from parents and educators about gaps in school facilities and staff.
To raise school enrollment, the government plans to launch new schemes in the upcoming budget. These initiatives will include student support programs and awareness campaigns. The CM said some districts still report alarming numbers of out-of-school children. For this reason, he supported declaring an “education emergency” to push rapid reforms.
Gandapur also called for better school monitoring and quick steps to fix missing facilities like labs and exam halls. He said stronger infrastructure is essential for quality education. Over the past two decades, KP students have received free textbooks. But this year, schools are facing an unusual shortage despite claims from the textbook board that printing targets were met.
Two years ago, the government started giving only half the required books to save costs and asked schools to reuse old ones. Now, confusion between the textbook board and education department has caused classroom disruptions. An official report last year had already labeled Pakistan’s education system as underperforming, urging immediate action to improve access and learning outcomes.