Upgradation of girls’ schools, Taxila museum: Japan grants $13.3m

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Japan has extended grant assistance worth Japanese Yen 1.734 billion ($13.3 million) for upgrading primary girls’ schools into elementary schools in rural areas of Sindh and improvement of equipment for the exhibition and conservation of the Taxila Museum to Pakistan.

Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Wada Mitsuhiro and Ministry of Economic Affairs Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz signed the exchange notes and record of discussions on behalf of their governments, here on Friday.

The objective of the project Upgrading Primary Girls Schools into Elementary Schools in Rural Areas of Sindh is to improve access to lower secondary (middle) education for students, especially girls, by constructing classrooms for middle education in rural areas of Sindh province, thereby contributing to improving enrollment rates and reducing gender gaps.

The main objective of the project Improvement of Equipment for Exhibition and Conservation of the Taxila Museum is to retain and conserve the cultural artifacts as per international standards.

Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs expressed that Pakistan accords high value to the reciprocal and congenial relations with Japan and both countries share mutual stance on most of the regional and international affairs.

Japanese economic assistance has been playing a vital role in the socio-economic uplift of Pakistan. The government of Japan has agreed to provide new grant assistance worth 1,686 million Japanese Yen (around $12.7 million) for upgrading primary girls’ schools into elementary schools in rural Sindh.

The project has been conceived keeping in view the facts that the number of middle/elementary schools is much lower (2,162) than the primary schools (35,377) in rural Sindh.

This particular issue is also adversely affecting the primary school student’s retention & the biggest cause of student’s dropout from school.

The net enrollment rate for lower-secondary education (grades 6-8) is 49 percent (boys 53 percent, girls 45 percent). Girls in government schools drop out drastically from primary education as middle or high schools are not available in close vicinity, particularly in rural Sindh.

According to Alif Alan, the accessibility distance hinders girls’ education more (13 percent dropout due to access) than boys (five percent dropout due to access).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023