An audit has raised serious questions about the Double-Shift Schools Program in Charsadda, saying the government spent Rs130.470 million on the scheme in 2021-22 and 2022-23, yet 40 schools later closed because of low or zero enrolment.
The performance audit report of the Auditor General of Pakistan said the program suffered from weak planning, poor school selection, flawed recruitment, ineffective monitoring, and financial irregularities. It also pointed to the presence of ghost students in official records.
According to the report, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government launched the program in the 2021-22 academic session and later expanded it to 1,505 schools in 27 districts. In Charsadda alone, 106 schools were included, and the Finance Department released Rs130.470 million for teacher stipends in the district.
The audit said officials failed to carry out a proper feasibility study, needs assessment, or target-setting before launching the scheme. As a result, the program could not achieve its main goal of reducing overcrowding in government schools.
It also found that nine schools were included in the program despite not meeting the required overcrowding criteria. The report said funds continued to go to some non-functional schools even after district authorities requested denotification.
The audit further flagged unauthorized stipend payments of Rs 13.497 million to teachers during summer vacations and recommended recovery of the amount.
It also highlighted a major mismatch in student enrolment records in seven girls’ schools, saying the EMIS data showed 447 students while school reports listed only 339. The report warned that the gap raised concerns about ghost students and called for stronger monitoring.
An Education Department official said the report will be taken up by the Public Accounts Committee and action will follow against those responsible.
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