Punjab government paying special attention to quality education: chief minister

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the provincial government is paying special attention to the provision of quality education at school level and implementation on the comprehensive project of school reforms roadmap is continuing in the province with the co-operation of international donor agencies.
He said that besides provision of quality education through this organised programme of educational reforms, other educational facilities are being provided to the students at school level. He said that the students of backward and remote areas have especially benefited from these reforms which have helped in harmonising the school education with changing demands.
Provincial Minister for Education Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Member National Assembly Saira Afzal Tarrar, Chairman Punjab Education Foundation Raja Anwar, prominent British Educationist Sir Michael Barber, representatives of international donors agencies, Secretary Finance, Secretary School Education, Secretary Literacy, Project Director of Directorate of Staff Development and other officers concerned attended the meeting.
Shahbaz said that provision of education to every child in the province is a commitment of the Punjab government. He said that special enrolment campaign is going on in the province so that the children deprived of the education could be given admission in the schools and prepared as a committed and confident leader. He said that the Punjab government through an organised investment on its human resources is providing best and bold leadership to the country and in this way highly educated persons will also be produced in various fields.
He said that free education was being provided up to Matric to the poor and needy students in their districts all over the province through public-private partnership. He said that girls of the hapless families have especially benefited from this programme.
He said that the provincial government has ensured recruitment of 70,000 school teachers on merit due to which best teachers would be available to the students and the recruitment of science teachers will help in promoting awareness about modern science and technology among the students. He said that besides improving the efficiency of schoolteachers through Directorate of Staff Development, training was also being provided to headmasters and education officers in administration, audit and financial matters.
Shahbaz said that Punjab Examination Commission has helped in adopting uniformed method of examination besides preparing results of primary and middle examinations on time. He said that constant improvement in examination results of Punjab Examination Commission is a clear proof of its performance. The chief minister directed that the NGOs associated with promotion of education and social workers should be included in the process of enrolment campaign in the schools and the Ulema of Auqaf department should inform the people about the importance of education through the platform of mosques.
The chief minister during the meeting telephoned the Executive District Officer (Education) of District Khushab Mian Muhammad Ismail and especially congratulated him for showing best performance throughout the province in achieving the targets of school reforms programme. He said that the hardworking and competent officers of education department were our precious assets and the Punjab government will fully encourage them. The chief minister informed the meeting that the Transparency International through a letter has termed the process of purchase of laptops by the Punjab government for the brilliant students a very transparent and according to rules.
Earlier, British Educationist Sir Michael Barber while giving a detailed briefing about the implementation of school reforms roadmap proposed that lady health visitors and barbers should also be included in the campaign for increasing the enrolment ratio in the schools at primary level. Member National Assembly Saira Afzal Tarrar, Chairman Punjab Education Foundation and others also addressed the meeting and put forth their proposals regarding the educational reforms programme.