Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that education is the only way to tackle challenges of poverty, unemployment and ignorance. He said that Punjab government has evolved a solid strategy for the uplift of education sector. He also said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund has been set up for the promotion of education and this fund is playing an important role in fulfilling educational needs of less-privileged but talented boy and girl students.
Shahbaz Sharif said that educational scholarships of billions of rupees have been distributed among 1, 50,000 boy and girl students, who are studying at prestigious local and international educational institutions, he added. He said this volume of the fund would increase to Rs 20 billion during current year while the number of students getting scholarships from the income of the fund will increase to 200,000, he pointed.
He was talking to assembly members of various districts during the day. Punjab Chief Minister said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund set up for the promotion of education in Punjab is unprecedented in Asia and has become the biggest educational fund in the region.
He said all out resources have been made available for imparting education to children. He stated that Punjab government has laid the foundation of a revolution in education sector by taking concrete steps for the promotion of education. He said revolutionary measures taken for the promotion of quality education are yielding positive results. Shahbaz Sharif said a comprehensive programme of reforms in education sector is being implemented. He said target of speedy development and strong economy can be achieved only through promotion of education.
Punjab Chief Minister said Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, voucher scheme of Punjab Education Foundation, Daanish Schools, distribution of cash prizes among position-holder students and their study tours abroad, provision of laptops on merit and other revolutionary measures are playing an important role in promotion of education. He said children of Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and other provinces of Pakistan have also been included in the educational programmes of Punjab.
He said state-of-the-art Daanish schools have been set up for the children of poor families of far-flung and backward areas and the children are also being provided free textbooks, uniforms and boarding and lodging facilities. He said children of extremely poor families are getting quality education in Daanish schools which are also playing an important role in controlling the trend of extremism.
Shahbaz Sharif said Punjab government has evolved a project to set up Knowledge Park over a vast piece of land in Lahore. He said Knowledge Park is the first and a unique project in the history of the country. He added that campuses of prominent local and foreign educational institutions will also be established in the Knowledge Park which will promote quality education. He said Knowledge Park to be set up in Lahore will be the first educational centre of international standard in the region.