ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated Rs490 million for the purchase of buses and their registration to provide a better transport facility to students in the federal capital under the Prime Minister`s Education Reform Programme.

In this regard, tenders have been opened and the procurement of the first fleet of buses is expected to be carried out this month.

Under the programme, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already inaugurated the renovation work on Islamabad Model College for Girls, Punjgran (Nilore), and the Islamabad Model School for Boys, F-8/3.

Sources in the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) on Sunday said the upraising/ construction of boundary walls in 49 schools was near completion. The boundary walls of the remaining schools will be raised in the second phase of the programme.

The sources said the provision of clean drinking water was one of the key aspects of the programme, under which 303 electric water coolers along with filters and 2,147 white boards were being installed in the 422 educational institutions.

For the second phase of the programme, a PC-I for the renovation/rehabilitation of physicalinfrastructure ofl95 educational institutions costing about Rs3289.82 million has been submitted to the authorities concerned.

Moreover, for the provision of the CCTV surveillance system in all institutions, Rs40 million have been allocated and the requisite amount transferred to the institutions. This include a designed and developed security inspection monitoring system for real time monitoring, analysis and reporting security inspection and daily visitor invigilation system for the schools/colleges.

The sources said to improve the janitorial and cleaning services in the 422 institutions, tenders have also been opened and the process for arrangement of funds was underway.

All the model colleges and schools have the same curriculum. The recommended textbooks are developed as per the National Curriculum 2006.

The other steps under the programme included the establishment of a Project Management Unit, appointment of area education officers, introduction of Montessori classes in selected schools, construction of additional classrooms in 21 schools, upgradation of 200 schools, landscaping and leveling of playgrounds and the establishment of a teacher training academy in the capital. APP