Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has launched an initiative worth 22 million USD to enrol out-of-school children with the cooperation of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Qatar Foundation. The initiative is the vision of AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Iliyas, said a press release issued here on Tuesday.
According to Benazir Income Support Program’s (BISP) survey of 2021, there are 216,000 children of age from 6 to 16 are not enrolled in any school in the region despite the claim that it has the highest literacy rate in the country compared to provinces and regions.
The IDB will provide 10 million USD loan and Qatar foundation 5 million USD to AJK government for the initiative while the remaining amount will be financed by the government itself.
Under the first phase of the “reaching out of school children” initiative, 60,000 children will be enrolled in primary schools with the provision of free books and stationary materials besides the construction of 80 primary school buildings in the areas having no primary school and establishment of a teachers training academy in the region.
The project primarily will be for a period of 4 years and after the success, the donors may extend financing, said an official, adding that the government will feed such children besides provision of free education and free of cost reading material.
