UAE opens 40 schools in Pakistan

Swat - June 24, 2012 (WAM) - Upon the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of UAE, the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan has accomplished 40 world-class schools and institutes and handed them over to the local authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Nearly 21,000 boy and girls have already started classes. A grand opening ceremony was held at one of the boys' school in the presence of Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, Director of the Project, Major General Zahir Shah, Commander of the GOC 45th Engineers Division of the Pakistani Armed Forces, a group of Pakistani army commanders and senior government officials. Al Ghafli and the senior accompanying civilian and military attendants unveiled the memorial plaque declaring the official opening of the school and then paid tribute to President Khalifa for the grant which constitutes a necessary, qualitative addition for improving and upgrading the education sector infrastructure in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. They also took a tour of the school building where they inspected classes, scientific and computer laboratories, sports facilities and other support services. They also met with the school principal and teaching and administrative staff. Al Ghafli also opened another school for girls and toured its various sections. The Project, which focuses on four major sectors: education, public health, roads and bridges, comes within the framework of the good efforts by the UAE to help Arab and Islamic countries as one of the leading donors in the field of humanitarian aid and international development around the world. During the ceremony school bags were distributed to the learners as part of the 30,000 bag programme launched by the Project to assist needy students across Pakistan. Abdullah Al Ghafli, Director of the Project, told Emirates News Agency (WAM) that ,'' It's a great honour for us to implement directives and initiatives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan with a humanitarian and development touch in education for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The initiative underlines Sheikh Khalifa's determination to extend assistance to students so as to get learning facilities in an ideal environment.'' Al Ghafli indicated that the UAE President's directives had brought to life modern educational facilities worth US$ 27.6 million accommodating up to 28,000 students. The Project has built and rebuilt 35 schools and colleges, two model schools, 40 primary to secondary schools, 11 technical technological and vocational colleges and institutes. He announced that the Project has already started implementing directives of the UAE President for construction of two model schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Waziristan, with each school costing US$500,000. He added that the educational facilities had been carried out in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, South Waziristan and Bajaur, the areas where schools were destroyed and due to lack of nearby schools, students had to take a long journey to join schools in other remote regions. He lauded the construction of these schools as a ''remarkable achievement'' to the UAE and its prudent leadership in significantly and efficiently contributing to the development of education infrastructure in Pakistan Educators and guardians praised the timely UAE humanitarian project saying the UAE President's initiatives had provided the proper learning environment to underprivileged students, and painted faces of students, parents and educators with smile and joy. They said the Sheikh Khalifa's humanitarian initiatives would build and develop the Pakistan human being academically, intellectually and culturally. The added that these educational institutions will prepare the Pakistani children to face future challenges skilfully. Noting the vast difference between the old and modern schools built by the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan, they said the new one stand as educational-friendly facilities providing big stimulate to both students and teachers to pursue their learning pathway. – Emirates News Agency, WAM