PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Minister Faisal Turkai on Tuesday announced an education budget of PKR 364 billion for the upcoming academic year, marking an 11 per cent increase over the previous year, with PKR 345 billion allocated for recurring expenses and PKR 19 billion for development initiatives.
Addressing press conference Turkai described a three-pronged strategy: preserving historic school infrastructure, expanding educational access, and fostering inclusivity. Ten heritage school buildings slated for renovation reflect efforts to preserve cultural heritage while upgrading learning environments. He further announced plans to build new schools—41 at the primary level and 12 secondary—and upgrade another 31 primaries to middle-level institutions and 23 middle to secondary level, under the province’s Annual Development Programme.
He said that new teacher licensing program will be launched alongside enhanced training for educators and school leaders, in collaboration with Cambridge University. According to Turkai, these measures aim to ensure that newly recruited teachers—16,500 so far—are fully supported through induction and capacity-building programs.
He added that an integrated “Education Card” will serve as a single platform for stipend management, free books, and student tracking, backed by a newly formed endowment fund to secure long-term financing. Key indicators are showing progress: teacher attendance has risen to 91 per cent and student presence to 82 per cent.
He said that CCTV cameras have been installed in exam halls, and digital attendance systems and on-screen marking platforms have been launched province-wide. These efforts accompany the establishment of standardised item banks and disciplinary protocols against cheating.
Minister Turkai affirmed the government’s vision of building an inclusive and high-quality education system with a strong fiscal commitment to invest in basic sectors such as health and education. He said that the province plans to tackle longstanding access and equity challenges through both sustained funding and transformative reforms.
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