PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has officially launched the “ILMpact” programme aimed at enrolling 80,000 out-of-school children and improving the quality of education across the districts of Battagram, Mansehra, Swabi, Buner, Shangla, Khyber, Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan.
The initiative is a collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is being implemented by the British Council.
The ILMpact programme focuses on enrolling out-of-school children and includes efforts to train teachers through modern methods delivered by master trainers. It also aims to strengthen Parent-Teacher Councils and School Management Committees in government schools.
Special emphasis is placed on girls’ education, along with support for underprivileged children, special needs students, and minority communities. Awareness campaigns will also be launched to encourage school enrolment, especially for girls.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, speaking at the launch ceremony, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to providing not just access to education, but quality education. He noted that an education emergency has been declared in the province and that 21 percent of the provincial budget has been allocated to elementary and secondary education this year.
The Chief Minister shared that 1.3 million out-of-school children have already been enrolled in schools over the past year, with a target to bring an additional one million into the school system during the current academic year.
He further stated that funds have been allocated to ensure no student in a government school is without a chair or desk. Plans are also in place to provide free textbooks, stationery, and school bags to students. In addition, efforts to improve the quality of education are underway through teacher training, and the recruitment of 18,000 new teachers on merit is currently in progress.
The ILMpact programme is part of a broader reform agenda to modernize education in the province and ensure inclusive and equitable access for all.
