Peshawar, Pakistan: During the last three years of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite spending 519 billion rupees on education emergency, including ongoing and development expenses of the primary and secondary education department, 776 government educational institutions have been revealed inactive (closure).
It is pertinent to mention that since 2013, PTI has had a government in KPK Province. This cursory audit is of only three years. The volume of misappropriation and irregularities could be exceptionally high in case the audit of the last 11 years could be conducted.
The PTI government continued to claim an educational emergency in the province. The closure of 776 government educational institutions by spending 519 billion rupees has negated the claims of an education emergency in the province for the last 10 years.
From 2019-20 to 2021- During the year 2022, as many as 519 billion and 890 million rupees were spent on ongoing and development expenses including the education of male and female students in the province, but during this period 776 primary, middle, and high schools that were completely closed could not be made functional.
According to the documents, in 2019-20, the overall budget of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education was 129 billion 40 crores 50 lakh rupees, in which 119 billion 70 crores 70 lakh rupees were allocated for the ongoing budget (salaries) while the development budget was 9 billion 69 crores 80 lakh rupees. The total budget for the Department of Primary and Secondary Education for the year 2020-21 was set at 183 billion 788 million rupees, of which 133 billion 76 million rupees are ongoing expenses, while 10 billion 766 million rupees were allocated for the development budget. An estimated budget of 31 billion 34 billion 10 lakh rupees has been allocated for the tribal districts. Similarly, during the year 2021-22, a total of 205 billion 89 billion 60 lakh rupees has been allocated for the education department, in which the budget of the planned districts was 175 billion 24 billion rupees, 30 billion 65 billion 60 lakh rupees for the tribal districts and 17 billion 58 crores 10 lakh rupees were allocated for the development budget.
However, despite spending 519 billion 890 lakh rupees on education during three years, according to the Bureau of Statistics, the number of primary, middle and high school closures in the province during the year 2020-21 was 306, while in 2021-22 During this period, this number increased to 776. Including 710 primary, 62 middle and 4 high schools. Government educational institutions that were inactive in the last period of Tehreek-e-Insaaf include 275 schools for boys and 435 schools for girls at the primary level. At the middle level, 31 schools for boys and 31 schools for girls are also included in the inactive schools at the high level. 4 government educational institutions are for girls.
According to the documents, the highest number of non-functional educational institutions, 209 schools, are completely closed in South Waziristan. 4 in Abbottabad, 1 in Bajaur, 7 in Bannu, 8 in Bitgram, 1 in Buner, 4 in Upper Chitral, 13 in Hangu, 1 in Haripur, 19 in Kirk, 34 in Khyber, 2 in Kohat, 2 in Kohistan Kolai Pals. In 17 and in Lower Kohistan 22 government primary and middle government educational institutions are completely closed. 83 in Upper Kohistan, 68 in Karam, 79 in Lakki Marwat, 2 in Malakand, 2 in Mansehra, 4 in Mardan, 42 in Mohmand, and 53 government schools are inactive in North Waziristan. One in Nowshera, 25 in Orakzai, 5 in Peshawar. The doors of 21 primary and middle schools in Shangla, one in Swabi, 7 in Swat, and 28 in Tank are closed to students.
