PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to digitise the province’s education system to improve access to learning and increase literacy, with Chief Minister Suhail Afridi unveiling a wide-ranging reform programme aimed at bringing millions of out-of-school children into the education system.
Chairing a meeting on digital education reforms on Tuesday, Afridi said the initiative would use modern technology to provide quality education to children across the province, particularly those living in remote and underserved areas.
“The goal is to ensure every child has access to world-class education,” the chief minister said, adding that digital reforms would help enrol millions of out-of-school children.
Officials informed the meeting that under the “Parho Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” initiative, all school textbooks would be made available on mobile phones, enabling students to continue their studies even without an internet connection.
Afridi said the provincial government aims to increase the literacy rate by 30 to 35 per cent over the next two years through the digital education programme.
Education authorities said nearly 90 per cent of households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa own smartphones, providing an opportunity to use digital technology to expand access to education.
Officials said virtual teaching had already been introduced in more than 50 schools and the programme would be expanded to 500 schools by the end of August.
The virtual learning system will include digital science laboratories, instruction in international languages and educational content in Urdu, English and Pashto.
Teaching, examinations, attendance records and student assignments will be integrated into a single digital platform, while artificial intelligence will be used to personalise learning according to each student’s abilities.
The provincial government said the reforms are aimed at modernising the education sector and ensuring quality learning opportunities for students across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially those living in geographically isolated areas.