PESHAWAR  -  Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shahab Ali Shah, chaired a meeting on Friday to address the pressing issue of out-of-school children in the province.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary of Education, Secretary of Planning and Development, Secretary of Labour, and other relevant officials.

A key outcome of the meeting was the decision to develop an integrat­ed strategy with a clear action plan to tackle the issue of out-of-school chil­dren.

The Chief Secretary stressed the importance of engaging relevant stakeholders—including govern­ment departments, donors, and oth­er partners—to formulate a compre­hensive strategy. He emphasized that addressing the issue of out-of-school children is of utmost importance and requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders.

A team comprising representatives from the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Planning and Development Department, Labour De­partment, and UNICEF will be formed to develop the plan. This team is ex­pected to present a detailed proposal within a month, outlining specific in­terventions and actionable steps to ad­dress the issue effectively.

The Chief Secretary directed the team to recommend specific require­ments that can be incorporated into the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the Education Department to address the issue effectively. He under­scored the need for an approach with clear timelines, given the critical im­portance of this matter.

The meeting reaffirmed the govern­ment’s commitment to addressing the issue of out-of-school children and en­suring that every child in Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa has access to quality educa­tion. The development of an integrated plan is expected to significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children and improve educational outcomes across the province.

CS for community engagement during polio eradication drives

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shahab Ali Shah, chaired a post-cam­paign review meeting of the April An­ti-Polio (NID) campaign. The meeting was attended by the Coordinator of the Provincial EOC, Commissioners, Depu­ty Commissioners, District Health Of­ficers, and other relevant officials.

During the meeting, a detailed pres­entation was delivered based on ana­lytical data and figures. The Chief Sec­retary emphasized the importance of applying lessons learned from the April campaign to improve the upcom­ing May campaign. He underscored the need for effective micro-plans, com­munity engagement, and thorough pre-campaign preparations.

The Chief Secretary linked the per­formance evaluation of officers to po­lio eradication efforts, highlighting the role of accountability in enhanc­ing campaign quality. The meeting not­ed a decrease in the number of missed children and an increase in the num­ber of households and Union Councils (UCs) covered compared to the Febru­ary 2025 campaign. Priority UCs were reduced from 276 in February 2025 to 166 in April 2025, indicating signifi­cant progress in vaccination efforts.

He further emphasized the need to improve access to communities and to prioritize routine immunization. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining quality in anti-polio cam­paigns and directed special attention to areas where the virus is still circu­lating. A plan was presented to bridge gaps in campaign quality by enhancing access, strengthening oversight, and training staff.

The government remains committed to eradicating polio with the support of communities, and influencer-led mod­els are being implemented in various areas.