Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday formally launched the Ehsaas Education Stipends program to encourage “vulnerable households” to send their children for education.
The nationwide launched program covers primary, secondary, and higher secondary education.
Addressing the launch ceremony for the program, Imran Khan said that around 20 million out-of-school children were a “major issue” for the country. He regretted that in the past nobody paid attention to the education of these children, adding that it was crucial to address the issue.
The premier further said that any country’s people are its most useful assets and not providing them proper education was just like “wasting the asset”.
“By denying the opportunity for upwards [social] mobility, you do a great injustice with that segment,” said Imran Khan.
The Ehsaas Education Stipends program serves a dual purpose “of socially assisting vulnerable households and at the same time reduce the number of out-of-school children,” read a press release issued on Tuesday.
Currently, there are around 18.7 million out-of-school children in Pakistan, the statement noted.
Girls get a higher stipend amount
Imran Khan specifically highlighted how girls’ dropout rate was higher as compared to boys.
“We did not give importance to education but especially, and unfortunately, we did not give importance to the girls’ education,” he said.
The Ehsaas Education program offers incentives to address the issue of school dropout for girls, by paying them a higher stipend as compared to their male counterparts.
Under the program, children from age 4 to 22 years will be eligible for stipends. Stipend amount has been doubled for primary school-going children and has been further increased for girls.
As per Ehsaas’ weighted-in-favor-of-girls stipends policy, girls get a higher stipend across all age groups, according to the press release. This shows the PTI government’s objective to facilitate girls’ education.
The stipend amounts
Briefing the Prime Minister on newly rolled out Education Conditional Cash Transfer under Ehsaas, Dr. Sania said:
- Primary school children will get Stipends of Rs. 1,500 for boys and Rs. 2,000 per quarter for girls
- Secondary school children will get Stipends of Rs. 2,500 for boys and Rs. 3,000 per quarter for girls
- Students of higher secondary level will get Rs. 3,500 for boys and Rs. 4,000 per quarter for girls
“The Ehsaas Education Stipends program with a higher incentive for girls, will encourage parents to send their children particularly girls to schools,” said Dr. Sania.
The program is operational nationwide in 160 districts. MOUs have been signed with all provinces and federating units to ensure their collaboration.