'Improvement in education sector is priority agenda'

Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has said that overall improvement in education sector is the priority agenda of the government. In this regard, provision of missing facilities is especially taken care of along with provision of quality education so that the students could be best groomed as future leaders. On the other side, overall infrastructure of the public sector schools is also being improved so that the students could study in conducive atmosphere.
He was addressing the meeting at Punjab Education Foundation head office on Wednesday. Chairman PEF Qamar ul Islam Raja, Managing Director Tariq Mahmood, Incharge PSSP/ Secretary Primary Healthcare Ali Jan Khan, Deputy Managing Directors of PEF, Director (PSSP) Sidra Saleem and others attended the meeting. While addressing the meeting, Rana Mashhood said that public school support program is an important achievement in providing free quality education to the students in the province. The first two phases of the PSSP have shown positive results, he added. It is important to note that increase in enrolment has been witnessed in PSSP partner schools, he added. This shows strong confidence of the people over the educational reforms of the Punjab government
He said that improvement of primary schools has also been prioritised and added that billion of rupees have been spent on the development of physical infrastructure of public sector schools. He pointed out that annual budget of school education department has been increased to Rs 315 billion and this amount is 36 percent more than the corresponding year's budget. The Minister further said that one thousand monthly stipend has been given to four lakh girls in the southern districts of the province. He further said that IT has already been introduced in the public sector schools; adding that it is an important step towards bringing digital revolution. This will also guide the students to find their destinations by exploring new avenues in their fields.
Chairman PEF Qamar ul Islam said that total number of students in PEF partner schools in 36 districts has reached to 2.5 million. 45 percent of them are girls; this shows that our girls have great interest in learning and education.