ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday launched Ehsaas School Stipend program for deserving households across the country so they can send their children for an education.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said an important aspect of this program is that it will help bring the out-of-school children especially the girls to the educational institutions. The prime minister regretted that no attention was paid in the past for the promotion of education and 20 million children are out of school today.
While emphasising the education of girls to uplift society, the prime minister was appreciative of keeping the stipend of female students higher in Ehsaas School Stipend Program. He said the stipend initiative,would serve to “incentivise and encourage” children to attend schools.
The prime minister particularly highlighted how more girls were out of school than boys. “We did not give importance to education but especially, and unfortunately, we did not give importance to the girls’ education,” he said.
He said the use of technology will help ensure transparency and no fake entries in the stipend program. PM Imran Khan noted that it is the responsibility of the government to extend facilitation and establish schools in areas where these are accessible to the children.
Earlier in her remarks, Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar briefed about the stipend program. She said this scholarship scheme is for students up to higher secondary level. She said the scholarship will be given to those deserving parents who will ensure at least seventy percent presence of their children in schools.
Sania Nishtar said they are working closely with the Ministry of Education to bring the out of school children to schools in order to uplift the poor households. She said the poverty survey has been completed and the Ehsaas program will be further accelerated in the days ahead.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the stipend will be given to “deserving parents”, who can ensure 70 percent attendance of their children in schools. “In this programme, the amount of stipend has been kept especially higher for girls. School stipends are for primary, secondary and higher secondary education,” it added.
It said that at the primary level, boys will get quarterly stipends of Rs1,500 and girls Rs2,000; at the secondary level, boys will get Rs2,500 and girls Rs3,000, while at the higher secondary level, boys will get Rs3,500 and girls Rs 4,000. The stipends will be issued every quarter.
