KP government has taken a principal decision to expand BS program to tackle problem of students' load in public sector universities and provide quality education to students especially girls at their doorsteps. The official said Rs 1.519 billion has been approved for extension and strengthening of BS program in 92 colleges in the province as currently, this program is underway in 114 colleges with enrolled students in 700 departments.
PTI government has accorded highest focus on digitalization of libraries by digitalizing around 70 colleges' libraries in the province during last five years. The provincial government will establish 200 new IT labs in colleges in next five years in the province. Special focus is being paid on strengthening of research work in Govt colleges and universities and students would be given special topics for conducting research keeping in view of the present era challenges and needs of agriculture and industries' demands.
Furthermore, an inclusive plan was devised for establishment of higher education reforms unit (HERU) to formulate a workable inclusive education policy to promote higher and commerce education on scientific lines in the province.
Top educational experts would be included in HERU for preparation of a comprehensive policy focusing on projects, needs and financial requirements of the universities, postgraduate colleges and libraries, promoting research, expansion and strengthening of BS program at colleges level and bolstering of commerce education.
The Department will organize exhibitions at different cities for awareness of general public and education of students about an importance of home economics' education besides facilitating pass out graduates and students of home economic departments to showcase their products before their countrymen.
As many as 10 new public sector universities including Chitral University, Women University Swabi, Abbottabad University, Lakki Marwat University, Women University Mardan, UET Mardan, Buner University, UoT Nowshera, Agriculture University DI Khan and Pak-Austria University of Applied Sciences at Haripur were established by PTI government during last five years in KP.
The PTI government had also completed 47 new colleges including nine for boys and 32 girls besides six commerce colleges including two boys and four female. Till June 2018, 47 new colleges were constructed, raising the number of colleges to 222 against 175 till June 2013.
Two home economic colleges at degree level at Abbottabad and Nowshera were setup while age condition for admission of women in educational institutes was abolished. The number of girls colleges which was only 42 till 2013, has risen to 47 in 2018.
Construction of 18 new colleges was completed besides repair in 45 Govt colleges during 2017-18. Additional facilities in 10 colleges and missing facilities in 28 colleges were provided in addition to boundary walls and water supply in 12 colleges.
The provincial government has increased 760 million rupees grant for 28 government universities by distributing about Rs 50m prize money in 36 colleges including 18 girls and 18 boys in 2016.
Three libraries were established while work on four new was in completion stage including one each in Charsadda, Buner, Manshera and Haripur. To monitor performance of teachers and other staff, Govt installed biometric machines in 185 general colleges and 31 commerce colleges while higher education management system was fully activated.
Under PSDP Program, financial support was provided to around 285 MS and M.Phil and 113 PhD scholars during financial year 2015-16 besides allocation of Rs 50m for outgoing fiscal year. Likewise, scholarship was provided to 5193 students costing Rs 124.61m under Scholarship for Youth Program.
To take full advantage of CPEC, Chinese language centres were setup at Abbottabad, Peshawar and Haripur and fully activated whereas two centres are being established at DI Khan and Swat.
Under CM Education Foundation Fund, scholarship to 23 scholars for PhD studies, 21 for MS and M.Phil studies and 37 under-graduates were provided for studying in top national universities and three MS scholarship to scholars for studying in foreign universities with allocation of Rs 1.742 billion.