ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of students of grade five and eight, who had qualified for scholarships in 2013-14, are yet to receive their cash awards from the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

According to the FDE, 40,000 students appeared for scholarship exams conducted by the FDE in 2013 and 2014. Only 1,000 students 600 grade five students and 400 grade eight students qualified for scholarships.

The FDE was supposed to pay Rs7,200 to each student in the form of monthly installments. Fif th grade students would be paid Rs200 per month for three consecutive years, while eighth grade students would be paid Rs300 each month for two years.

However, after the exams and announcement of results, the directorate repeatedly told students and teachers that files were under processing.

Among the students who had qualified for scholarships, 200 who were in eighth grade have even passed matriculation examinations and joined colleges and the grade five students are now in grade eight.

`It is shameful that the FDE could not deliver such a small amount of scholarship money to deserving, qualified students during their school session,` said Private School Network President Dr Afzal Babur.

Dr Babur said that in addition to public school students, there were a large number of private school students who had qualiñedforscholarships.

`Scholarships are a means for encouraging students but due to the FDE`s negligence, they have become a source of disappointment and discouragement for brilliant students, he said.

A schoolteacher, Malik Ameer, said that it was unfortunate that students have been waiting for their scholarship money since 2013.

`The students should be given the money they deserve, without further delay,` he said.

He requested the CADD secretary to look into the matter and streamline the scholarship system.

`We also request that the amount of scholarship should be raised from 200 to 500,` he said.

A student at Islamabad Model College for Girls F-6/2, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that she worked day and night to pass the grade five scholarship examination.

`All my ef forts were for nothing. I am in grade eight and I am yet to see a penny from the scholarship money,` she said.

FDE officials at the Examination Branch confirmed that qualified students have been denied their scholarship money.

However, they blamed the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) for the delay.

`The case was forwarded to the AGPR for the issuance of cheques, numerous times but objections were raised and the FDE`s time was wasted,` an of ficial at the FDE told Dawn.