Education Minister of Punjab Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that education is the top priority of provincial government which has taken new initiatives in this field. While addressing the students of AJK, Chitral, Gilgit and other provinces here at Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust Hall, he said that promotion of education is of paramount importance for the elimination of ignorance and poverty.
He said that the steps taken by Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for the promotion of education are unprecedented. He said that Punjab Chief Minister by giving guard of honour to the position holder students of the province has given them due respect. He said that the youth especially the talented students are asset of the nation.
Chief Editor Nawa-e-Waqt Majeed Nizami and Professor Dr Rafiq Ahmad also addressed. Mujtaba said that Punjab government has provided a sum of Rs 10 billion to promote school education in the marginalized strata and 1.5 million deserving students in the 36 districts would be benefited. He added that a sum of Rs 46 billion will be spent on the school education sector.
He said that more than 3 million children had been given admission in the schools as a result of primary enrolment campaign launched by the Punjab government. He said that government is also awarding scholarships to thousands of talented students for studying in the country and abroad.
He further said that 2.5 million students are getting computer education every year in the province through IT promotion programme of Chief Minister Punjab. He said that on the directive of Chief Minister Punjab, position holder students in matric and intermediate examinations are given cash prizes and similarly they are conducted on a three days recreational and study tour of Murree.
He said that talented students both girls and boys are being given laptops while the male and female students obtaining first position in all the boards are sent abroad on tour to the prestigious universities of the world. He said that under Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, talented and resources-less students are being given scholarships for higher education in the universities of the country as well as abroad. He said that amount for endowment fund has been increased up to Rs 10 billion. He said that Rs one billion stipend is being distributed in the girl students belonging to remote and deprived areas to encourage female education.