ISLAMABAD: With a contribution of $25.2 million (Rs 7.2 billion) over three years, the United Kingdom hopes to provide over 250,000 Pakistani children better access to education, focusing primarily on the country’s eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the British Council said on Wednesday.

Pakistan has an estimated 22.8 million out-of-school children, the second highest in the world, according to UNICEF. A majority of them, about 12.2 million, are girls who face cultural and social barriers preventing them from seeking formal education especially in rural areas.

Funded by the British High Commission in Pakistan and delivered by the British Council, the service delivery component of Girls and Out of School Children’s Action for Learning (GOAL) program, “Khilo aur Barho” will see children receive support with their Urdu, Math and English subjects. The five-year program, from January 2023 to December 2027, aims to build more inclusive provincial education systems delivering quality education in KP and Punjab. 

“The UK is set to help over 250,000 children in Pakistan access better education,” the British High Commission said in a statement. “Through the service delivery component of Girls and Out of School Children’s Action for Learning (GOAL) program, Khilo aur Barho, the UK’s £20 million contribution will help break down barriers to education, enhance literacy and numeracy skills, and strengthen a resilient and effective education system in Pakistan over the next three years.”

It added that 10 percent of the participants would be children with disabilities while 20 percent will comprise from marginalized groups. 

“This support will focus on their ability, rather than their age, helping them to catch up on these subjects quicker,” the statement said. 

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said Pakistan was facing an “education emergency” with $26.2 million children out of school.

“This targeted support will make sure some of the most vulnerable children in the country don’t fall behind,” she said. “The UK is already a significant supporter of education in Pakistan, supporting over 4.5 million children across Pakistan to access a decent education over the past 10 years.”

Pakistan’s Education Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said his ministry is focused on facilitating each of the provinces to connect with international and local partners to fight learning poverty in every district, with a special focus on lagging districts. 

 “I am hoping that GOAL will show how you deliver that successfully in 14 most challenging districts. We will stand ready to help in every way to make it a success,” he said. 

In 2022, the UK had donated $160 million (Rs45.76 billion) to support women’s education in Pakistan. 

According to WorldMetrics, Pakistan’s literacy rate stood at 59 percent, while the country grapples with the challenge of 23 million out-of-school children.

The government’s spending on education remains low, at just 2.8 percent of GDP, contributing to poor infrastructure, limited access to quality education and a shortage of trained teachers, particularly in rural areas.
 

PESHAWAR: The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has recently sought an update from the federal government over its earlier intent to acquire the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), reiterating its resolve to “revitalize” the national airline as Islamabad looks to privatize the state-owned asset. 

KP’s Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BOIT) wrote a letter to federal officials on Nov. 1, expressing its intent to top the sole bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) it received last month to acquire the PIA. The provincial government said it wanted the national flag carrier to remain under government control to preserve its status as an asset that symbolizes Pakistan’s pride. 

Cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to offload a 51-100 percent stake in debt-ridden PIA to raise funds and reform state-owned enterprises as envisaged under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program. The process, however, hit a snag last month when the final bidding round attracted just one bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier.

In a letter dated Nov. 11, the KP-BOIT demanded an update on its Nov. 1 expression of interest in acquiring the airline. 

“Given the strategic importance of this process and the strong support for this initiative from the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment & Trade, we kindly seek an update on the status of KP-BOIT’s proposal,” the letter said. 

“KP-BOIT is fully committed to preserving and revitalizing PIA, ensuring its legacy as the National Flag Carrier.”

The board said that the KP chief minister and its team were fully committed to ensuring the national airline “return to prominence” and secure its future under the KP-BOIT, supported by its investors. 

“The leadership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is prepared to offer substantial backing and resources to accomplish these objectives,” the letter added. “KP-BOIT would appreciate any indication of when KP-BOIT might expect to discuss this matter further.”

KP-BOIT said its team is ready to share its strategic vision and present a “competitive and compelling bid” for the national airline. 

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, chief of the ruling party in Pakistan’s Punjab, said this month that the province was also considering acquiring the national flag carrier. A business group in Canada led by a Pakistani expat also threw its hat in the ring to acquire the airline this month, offering the Pakistan government around Rs100 billion ($358 million) to acquire the debt-ridden national carrier. 

The disposal of PIA is a step former governments have steered away from, as it has been highly unpopular given the number of layoffs that would likely result from it.

Other concerns raised by potential bidders for the PIA stake included inconsistent government communication, unattractive terms and taxes on the sector, and the flag carrier’s legacy issues and reputation.