Punjab striving to achieve 88 percent literacy rate by 2015: minister

Punjab is striving hard to achieve 88 percent literacy rate till 2015 to fulfil the international commitment under Millennium Development Goals. Presiding over a literacy department meeting here on Monday, Provincial Minister for Education Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that 2,62,500 students under the age of four to 15 years were getting education under non-formal basic education schools in the province.
"The government is fully aware of its responsibility in developing educational sector by providing the basic education and this is the reason it has started primary enrolment campaign to achieve 100 percent literacy rate in the province," he added.
The minister said basic education was very important and there must be a conducive environment for the betterment of education sector. He appreciated the positive attitude of teachers in capacity building of students. Rehman said Punjab government was distributing 1,25,000 laptops among talented students this year, whereas provision of laptops would be raised up to three lakhs in next financial year.