LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has laid the foundation for improvement in education sector in the year 2024.
The CM Maryam undertook record projects for the improvement of Education Department as soon as she assumed her office.
In 2024, she launched Honhar Scholarship program, the first public school reorganization, higher education internship, Chief Minister School Nutrition, Lahore Kindergarten School along with provision of buses for the girls’ colleges in every tehsil.
Back-to-school campaign was started for enrolment in the schools, new classrooms were built in government schools, Science and IT laboratories were established.
The CM sought a plan for artificial intelligence education in elementary classes on the Chinese model. For the first time in Punjab, education officers were appointed on merit after conducting their tests and interviews in the divisions, districts and tehsils. Steps were taken to establish a single authority for curriculum development, teacher training and other matters. Re-establishment of the School Education Council, laptop scheme, solarized charging stations in colleges and universities, new universities; green school program will be launched soon. It was agreed to hold a school hockey league and Pakistan’s biggest “School Olympics” in Punjab, along with the introduction of a “Theme of the Month” in government schools.
By fulfilling the promise of providing transport facilities to girls’ colleges, the Chief Minister gave buses to 19 out of 76 girls’ colleges in the first phase. ‘Public Schools Reorganization Program’ was launched, which saved Rs.40 billion and created employment opportunities for 70,000 youth. It was decided to establish 5,000 new classrooms in PSRP schools of Punjab. Through outsourcing of schools, increased the number of students in schools by several hundred percent. A pilot project of satellite internet was started in DPS Model Town. The biggest higher education internship program in the history of Punjab was also started. 7354 college teacher interns were recruited in government colleges of Punjab. Each college teacher intern is being given Rs.50,000 per month for six months.
For the first time in the history of Punjab, a project to provide tetra pack milk to children in government schools was started. The program was started by providing tetra pack milk packs to more than four lakh students in 3527 schools of Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh. Prizes worth lakhs of rupees were given to the position holders of the education boards and the government will pay all the educational expenses of the position holders.
The CM Punjab has increased the Honhar Scholarship from Rs.30,000 to Rs.50,000. On the orders of the Chief Minister, 100,000 e-bikes will also be given to students. After a three-stage recruitment process, the recruitment of CEOs, DEOs and Deputy DEOs of all District Education Authorities of Punjab was successfully completed on merit.
On the personal interest and special instructions of the CM Punjab, the policy was made teacher-friendly by including hardship categories in the teacher transfer policy. The largest teacher rationalization process in the history of Punjab was started based on the number of students. By digitizing and making the procurement process of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board transparent, billions of rupees are being saved and early provision of books for the next academic year is being ensured.
She said that Modern EdTech schools were established by the Punjab Education Foundation. A special campaign has been launched to ensure access to education for out-of-school children, in which selected tehsils are being marked as tehsils with zero out-of-school children in a phased manner. Vice Chancellors of Universities and Directors of Colleges across Punjab have been appointed on merit based on transparency. Google certification courses were successfully organized for 10,000 students in collaboration with the Higher Education Department and Google.
On the directions of CM Punjab, the Higher Education Department organized a special course for the students of government colleges to prepare them for the entrance examination to medical and engineering colleges.
The Chief Minister said, “Every child of Punjab has the full right to get the best and modern knowledge. There will be no shortage of resources for children’s education. Changes and improvements will be brought in the education system according to the requirements of the modern era.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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