Provincial Minister for Finance Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that government was working hard to achieve 88 percent literacy rate by 2015 so as to fulfill the international commitment under Millennium Development Goals.
He said that government was implementing a comprehensive programme for providing modern educational facilities to the children which will not only minimize the divide between the rich and the poor but the children of the poor parents will also be able to acquire modern education and play their due role in national development and prosperity.
He said due to the efforts of Punjab government in education sector during last five years, record enrollment of more than 11 million children in government schools had been observed.
The figure is more than one million in excess of the 2008 school census and is the result of Punjab government’s various measures including provision of teachers of science and mathematics, better facilities and free textbooks.
He maintained that the Department for International Development (DFID) had especially lauded the chief minister’s roadmap for development of education sector in the province.
While talking to party workers Shuja said that under Chief Minister’s Reforms Roadmap, 92 percent attendance of teachers and students and 96 percent availability of facilities and inspection of schools have been ensured whereas earlier, this ratio was 60 percent and 62 percent respectively.
He said that the present government took solid measures due to which not only the enrollment of students exceeded eleven million but also the results of Matriculation, middle and fifth classes were also very encouraging. He said that due to practical measures of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, the enrollment of students in government schools had been enhanced to 11.273 million.
He said that with the continuity of educational schemes launched by the present government, there will be an educational revolution in the province. He said that government has provided record budget of Rs 244 billion to the education department during current fiscal year for the up-gradation of education standard. He said that 262,500 students under the age of 4 to 15 years were getting education under non-formal basic education schools.