Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that the provincial government will provide education and training to special children. He was addressing a seminar regarding the welfare of special children arranged by the Special Education Department at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. Sharif said the policy of allocating a two percent quota in government jobs to the disabled will be fully implemented to allow these children to become self-reliant and contribute to national development.
He set up a steering committee for evolving a policy framework for the welfare of special people. He directed the committee to chalk out a roadmap for the betterment of special people and submit its recommendations within two weeks.
Addressing the seminar, the CM said special children can be rehabilitated by providing them proper education in a favorable environment.
He said that Punjab Education Endowment Fund should also provide scholarships and vouchers for free education to the children.
He stated that qualified teachers are also necessary for educating special children and that attention should be paid to training special education teachers.
He directed that a comprehensive survey should also be conducted in the province to collect authentic data on disabled people, which could be used for evolving welfare policies.
The CM said the Special Education Department is providing free education and other facilities to special students in the province.
He also issued directions for the establishment of a state-of-the-art institution in the provincial metropolis for rehabilitation of special children. The Chief Minister added that looking after special children is the collective responsibility of the society.
Sharif said the government, in collaboration with UK’s International Development Department, is providing free education; information technology and vocational skills training to 17,000 South Punjabi youth.
He stated that disabled youth should also be included in that programme as well as the TEVTA and Punjab Vocational Training Council training programmes.
The CM said the organisations working to rehabilitate disabled people should be commended for their role.
Chief Minister Special Assistant Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz, National Assembly Member Pervaiz Malik, Special Education Department Secretary Abdullah Sumbal, Higher Education Department Secretary Dr Ijaz Munir and representatives of NGOs engaged in the rehabilitation of special people also addressed the seminar.
The speakers also presented various recommendations for a comprehensive policy for the rehabilitation of special persons.
They said the concept of inclusive schooling should be promoted in the province as it would provide an opportunity to the special children to study alongside normal children for removing social disparity.
Provincial secretaries, non-governmental organisations’ representatives and social workers were also present at the occasion.
Government will educate, train special children: CM
