A major education initiative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), funded by the World Bank and worth millions of dollars, has failed to meet its intended targets.

According to official documents, the provincial education department has managed to utilize only $24 million out of the $115 million allocated for the project.

The program, which aimed to improve access to primary education in KP, has seen minimal fund utilization. Out of $81 million earmarked to enhance educational access, just $12 million has been spent.

Additionally, only $1 million out of the allocated $8 million for improving teacher training and student skills has been utilized. For the rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood-affected schools, only $6 million of the $18 million budget has been used.

‘Education apartheid’: schooling in crisis in Pakistan

The World Bank-backed initiative was designed to support the restoration of schools, construction of new classrooms, and improvement in teaching and learning outcomes across 12 districts of the province. However, the slow pace of fund utilization has raised concerns over the project’s implementation.

Additional Secretary of the KP Education Department, Qaiser Alam, stated that the project was initially approved in 2020 and was scheduled to be completed by 2025. He described it as one of the World Bank’s best projects in the region.

Recognizing its significance, the project timeline has now been extended. Alam confirmed that the new completion date is 2026, and efforts to restore damaged schools and achieve other project goals are now being accelerated.

The underutilization of funds, especially in critical areas like school rehabilitation, teacher development, and student learning, has drawn attention to the need for stronger implementation mechanisms and oversight to ensure the project achieves its objectives.

Over 800,000 applicants for 16,500 vacant teaching posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa