Scholarship programme ray of hope for poor students

My mother has told me to save money from my monthly scholarship, which is to last a year, for higher education,” according to a shinning student of University of Peshawar.

Rizwanullah, student of second semester of bachelor of studies in UoP environmental sciences department, told Dawn that he would have been unable to get admission to the university had the provincial government not financially supported him by giving him scholarship.

“My parents admitted me to a government school as they couldn’t afford to pay my Rs500 monthly tuition fee when I was a student of a private school,” he said.

Rizwanullah, resident of Hassankhel area of Frontier Region Peshawar, got 856 of 1,050 marks (81 per cent) in Secondary School Certificate examination in 2009. He later passed intermediate examination in 2011 from Government Higher Secondary School, Sama Badhber, FR Peshawar.

The youngster remained the top first position holder among the students of government schools by obtaining 838 of 1,100 marks (77 per cent).


Being on the list of brilliant students enrolled in the government schools, he earned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s scholarship titled ‘Stori da Pakhtunkhwa’ (Star of Pakhtunkhwa) programme. Currently, he draws monthly stipend of Rs15,000.

‘Stori da Pakhtunkhwa’ programme was launched in 2011 for brilliant students enrolled in government schools.

Under the programme, the provincial government give Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 for one year as scholarship to top ten position holders of each board of SSC and intermediate respectively.

Around 700 students have been benefiting from the scholarship programme for two years, said an official of the elementary and secondary education department. All these students belong to the lower middle class of the society as well-off and middle class don’t admit their children to government schools.

“My father is a watchman in a factory in Balochistan. His salary is Rs7,500 a month,” Rizwanullah told Dawn. He said that his elder brother was a driver in Karachi while younger one was a labourer. They also wanted to get education but my father couldn’t afford their tuition fees, he said.

“Even my father had also asked my mother to let me out from the private school but my mother opposed and insisted to continue study,” he said.

After qualifying SSC examination, Rizawanullah got admission in the government higher secondary school Sama Badhber in FR Peshawar. He said he avoided taking pocket money from his mother as he understood the financial condition of his mother. “My mother used to give me Rs100 per week as pocket money,” he said.

According to him, it was a surprise and happy news for his family when it learnt that the government would pay him Rs15,000 per month.

Now, he is a student of the second semester of four years Bachelor of Studies programme in environmental sciences department and so far paid fee of the two semesters.
“I pay Rs14,000 per semester,” he said.

As the government would support him for one year, he said his mother had asked him not to waste the money and save it for further education as his father couldn’t afford continuation of his higher education.

Mr Rizwanullah said after paying Rs28,000 for the two semesters, he had Rs40,000 in his bank account and that money had been saved from the monthly scholarship.