Minister says govt providing scholarships to talented students

MARDAN: Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Faisal Khan Tarakai on Friday said the government was taking steps to provide scholarships to talented students.

He was addressing a ceremony under the “Stury Da Pakhtunkhwa Programme” at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Mardan.

BISE Mardan Chairman Prof Jahanzeb Khan Toru, MPA Abdul Salam Afridi, board secretary, controller, EDOs of Mardan and Swabi, students and parents attended the event.Highlighting the government’s initiatives, the minister said that in the latest matriculation results alone, 46 top position-holders from the Mardan board were awarded Rs45 million.

He added that Rs500 million was being spent under the programme across the province. He said that 506 scholarships were awarded annually through the Education Testing and Evaluation Agency at a cost of Rs400 million while 7,000 students benefit under the Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Scholarship Programme.

The minister announced that the stipend for the female students had been increased from Rs500 to Rs1,000, benefiting 550,000 girls in settled districts, with the program also being extended to merged areas.

“It is a proud day as hardworking students are reaping the fruits of their efforts,” he remarked.Tarakai said the government had allocated Rs364 billion for education, making up 21 percent of the provincial budget.He said that recruitment of 17,000 teachers on merit was in progress, while board chairmen, controllers, and secretaries had been appointed through a transparent four-month process.