'Private sector's role vital in promoting education'

Punjab Minister for Education Mujtaba Shuja Rehman has said that Punjab government is striving to promote education and special enrolment programme had been initiated under more than 3 million children from age 5 to 9 years were being enrolled in the school for achieving the 100 percent literacy rate by 2013.
Addressing inaugural ceremony of American Elementary School at People's Colony, he said that present Punjab government was giving top priority to the education circle to provide the education facilities each and every child of the province but government can not achieve the meaningful results alone without co-operation of private sector.
He said that private sector should join hand with the government to educate the nation for the prosperity and development. The minister said that at present more than 5 million students were studying in private educational institutions whereas education facilities were being provided to more than 11 million students of government institutions.
He said that the state of the art IT labs in more than 4300 schools of the province had been established at a cost of 5 billion under the directions of CM Punjab to bring out the information technology revolution for advance and modern education. He said that more than 17000 students were being provided scholarships through Punjab Education Endowment funds for providing them facilities of quality higher education. He said that teacher training programme was also part of Punjab govt. education policy for capacity building of teachers. The minister said that talented and position-holder students were being awarded cash prizes for their encouragement besides providing them facilities of foreign study tours to see the world fame Universities. He claimed that the issues of terrorism, unemployment and poverty could be overcome by the Punjab government education policies and new era of educational revolution would be ushered. He appreciated the efforts of American Elementary School Management for establishing the school in order to quality education to the students.
School Principal Ms Merry welcomed the minister and other guests and highlighted the facilities being provided to the students in the school for their character building and education. She also gave details of the education techniques for imparting the education to the students in a most advance technology. EDO Education Sohaib Imran, Director Colleges Rana Munawar, EDO Literacy Asif Tarar, Deputy Director Colleges Saifur Rehman, Ali Bilal, Umer Sharif Bukhari and others were also present on the occasion.