Provincial Minister for Education Murad Raas has said that 100 exemplary schools would be established in Lahore within next two to three months. Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Tuesday, the Minister said that Lahore needs at least 1000 schools and this target would also be achieved soon. He said that provision of quality education is the top priority of the provincial government.
He said that another 110 model schools would be established by April-May of next year in 11 districts of Punjab. Moreover 1000 new computer labs and 1000 science labs are also being established in the province, he added.
Murad Raas said that special attention is being given to the technological advancement that is need of the hour. He said that transfer and posting system for 0.4 million teachers has been made transparent through an app. The entire education system in Punjab would be automated, he announced.
He said that Punjab government is going to introduce a new teachers training programme within next 30 to 45 days. Under this programme, 400 trainers would be sent abroad for modern training and later these master trainers would be posted in 36 districts of Punjab for teachers training, he said.
The Education Minister said that education for out of school children is top priority of the Punjab government which has provided facilities in 22 districts of the province. The government brought 21,000 children back to schools he said adding that the medium of education from first to primary class would be in Urdu while English would be included as a subject so that students can learn easily.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that human resources should be imparted technical education as export of skilled labor force can bring foreign remittances to over US$30 billion. He hoped that Punjab government would increase allocation for education sector. The curriculum should be uniform throughout the country, he said.
He said the provision of education, health and peaceful environment is the basic responsibility of the state and an efficient education system is very important for the development of a nation or any country. An increased productivity, once achieved, would not only help multiply manifold the country's gross domestic product but would also help significantly lower inflation. "We want to fight and reduce poverty, we need to think long-term and invest in education today," he said.
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said education is a debt due from the present to the future generations. It's longer term objective that needs investment today. It's a tree which planted today would bear fruit for our future generations. "If we want Pakistan to be a truly developed nation one day, we need to sow the seeds today. We want Pakistan to compete with the rest of the developed world we want to make sure that we have strong and affordable institutions that impart education to the masses," he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019