May 13, 2025 – KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur has pledged to make the education sector a top priority in the upcoming provincial budget. He announced plans to allocate more funds to tackle urgent issues, including textbook shortages and high dropout rates.
In a meeting held in Peshawar, the KP CM expressed concern over the province’s poor performance in the District Education Performance Index 2020–23. He directed officials to improve teacher training, ensure 100% merit in new hiring, and open schools in areas lacking basic facilities.
Moreover, Gandapur called for a declaration of an education emergency to address the alarming number of out-of-school children. He stressed the importance of increasing student enrollment and strengthening school infrastructure. To support this, the government will enhance monitoring systems and provide essential facilities like labs and exam halls.
For years, students received free textbooks at the start of the academic year. However, rising costs forced the government to halve book distribution and reuse old copies. Although the textbook board claims to have printed the required books, students and teachers still report severe shortages.
In response, the provincial leadership has committed to resolving the issue swiftly. The new budget will include schemes aimed at long-term education reform.
Meanwhile, an official report last year placed Pakistan’s education system in the “low” performance category. This further underscores the urgency of the government’s efforts.
With these steps, the KP CM aims to ensure better learning environments and future opportunities for students across the province.
