The Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica) has provided colourful books to students enrolled in evening schooling project of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). A book distribution ceremony took place on Monday at the Foundation's head office with Managing Director Doctor Aneela Salman in the chair. Those also present were Project Co-ordinator Abid Gill, Deputy Managing Director Salman Anwar Malik, Programme Directors Aisha Nauman and Samina Nawaz.
In her speech, Dr Salman said, "The evening schooling project is a pilot programme for child labour, housemaids and other out of school children who are unable to study in the morning because of their peculiar circumstances. To meet their educational needs, 104 partner schools have been set up in collaboration with the private partners in Lahore and Multan in the first phase where 5,000 children are enrolled to get free education. The Foundation is providing monthly fee as well as textbooks to the partners."
She also said to continue meeting the educational needs of deserving students, such partner schools would also be upgraded in the future and that "free quality education is our prime agenda. "The Foundation is wholly contributing to meet the targets of 'Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab." Project Co-ordinator Gill paid tribute to the Foundation's role in school education, revealing that Foundation-sponsored Public Private Partnership models were studied and replicated in the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to meet their respective educational needs.