40 Double-Shift Schools Closed in KP

An audit has revealed serious concerns regarding the Double-Shift Schools Program in Charsadda, Pakistan. The government allocated Rs130.470 million for this initiative in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years, but 40 schools closed due to low or zero enrollment. The Auditor General of Pakistan's performance audit identified several issues, including weak planning, poor school selection, flawed recruitment, ineffective monitoring, and financial irregularities.

The audit also reported the presence of ghost students in official records, highlighting the need for stronger oversight.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government initiated the program during the 2021-22 academic session, eventually expanding it to 1,505 schools across 27 districts. Charsadda was one of the 27 districts, with 106 schools participating. The Finance Department disbursed the allocated funds for teacher stipends in the district alone. However, the audit found that the program failed to achieve its primary objective of reducing overcrowding in government schools.

It also discovered that nine schools were included in the program despite not meeting the necessary overcrowding criteria. Despite district authorities requesting denotification, funds continued to be disbursed to non-functional schools. Additionally, unauthorized stipend payments of Rs13.497 million to teachers during summer vacations were flagged, with a recommendation to recover the amount.

The audit also highlighted discrepancies in student enrollment records, with EMIS data showing 447 students in seven girls' schools, while school reports listed only 339 students.