Unveiling the new education policy of the schools education department titled "the new deal 2018-23", here Thursday, the Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said this policy will revolutionize the education sector in the province.
The new education policy will help to eliminate the segregated system of education and there would be no segregation between the students of elite private schools, small and medium-scale private institutions and the government schools. The children will be educated within the realm of national ideology and culture so that they could learn about their socio-cultural responsibilities to emerge as the useful citizens of the society. Programs are also being introduced to improve the capacity of the teachers so that they could better educate the students.
While addressing a ceremony, the CM said that a committee will also be set up, to complete the steps taken for achieving the desired objectives. "I will monitor the progress made thereof," he said, adding: "Education sector was ignored during the last seven decades but the PTI government gives top priority to it because we can give a bright future to our new generation by investing in their education. Now practical steps will have to be taken in this regard because the future of 28 million students is directly linked with the governmental strategy and policies. About 12 million children are enrolled in 52 thousand schools of schools education department."
The CM maintained that primary level education will be imparted in Urdu while English will be taught as a subject under 'the new deal.' Credit goes to the PTI government for including the Iqbal Studies in syllabus. Similarly, modern trends like science technology, engineering, arts and math will be introduced at the middle level. These steps will bear fruitful results and attention will also be paid to remove the weaknesses of educational system, he added.
Buzdar announced that out-of-school children will be provided education through 'insaf afternoon school program.' Similarly, integrated management information system is also being introduced. He divulged that necessary amendments will be made in special act for free and compulsory education adding that sports, physical training and clean drinking water will be compulsory in the schools.
"We are going to implement new educational policy through different practical measures," he said, adding: "Now, every student will be able to study by rising above the biases of caste, color and creed. There will be no room for gender-biases in the new educational policy."
He reiterated that the students studying in the far-flung areas of the province like Rojhan and Taunsa Sharif will be provided the same facilities which are available in the best government schools of Lahore. The Punjab minister for schools education Murad Raas said that educational reforms are being introduced with the new approach. "I am also thankful to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for giving us complete liberty and this program of today will help to make the educational system result-oriented in the real sense," he added. Provincial ministers, assembly members, administrative secretaries, spokesman to CM, educationists, teachers and students attended the ceremony.