The Punjab Assembly on Monday approved Free Education Bill 2014, making it compulsory for parents to send their children to schools.
According to the bill, education up to 16-year children has been made compulsory, and parents who refuse to send their children to schools will be fined.
The education department will get ample funds to ensure provision of free books and copies to students.
Speaking in favour of the bill, Provincial Education Minister Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan told the House that it was a great deed of the present government to provide free education up to matriculation.
“Our aim is to enlist Pakistan into the list of educated countries and we are pursuing ultra modern policies to promote education at grass roots level,” he said.
He said free education would help attain target of doubling literacy rate by 2020.
PA APPROVES STRATEGIC COORDINATION BILL 2014:
Meanwhile, the assembly on Monday approved Strategic Coordination Bill-2014 in a session chaired by Speaker Rana Muhammed Iqbal.
According to the bill, a Punjab Strategic Coordination Board would be established under the chairmanship of the Punjab chief minister while the Punjab chief secretary would be its convenor.
The board will be entitled to devise policies for curbing terrorism in the province besides it would also develop better coordination and working relationship between federal law enforcement institutions and provincial investigating agencies to get desired results.
