Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presided over a high level meeting, on Friday, which decided to launch double shift in schools having a large number of students. The meeting also gave approval to the policy for recruitments of 42798 new teachers while Early Childhood Education Programme was decided to be expanded.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that a programme should be evolved immediately for launching evening classes in schools where there are a large number of students and a comprehensive survey should be conducted for this purpose. Giving approval to the policy for recruitment of 42798 new teachers, Shehbaz Sharif said that it will help overcome shortage of teachers. He said that the new teachers should be recruited purely on merit and in a transparent manner.
He said that Early Childhood Education Programme is a splendid project and its expansion will yield positive results as well as improve enrolment rate in schools. He directed that this programme should be implemented in South Punjab on priority basis. Shehbaz Sharif said that 90 per cent of missing facilities have been provided in schools at a cost of billions of rupees while the target of ensuring hundred per cent facilities in schools will be achieved during the current fiscal year. He said that the target of enrolment of every child of school going age will have to be achieved. He said that due to educational programmes of Punjab government, no child will remain deprived of education.
The chief minister said that teachers’ training programme is of key importance for the promotion of quality education and there is a need for evolving a comprehensive mechanism for this purpose. He said that modern technology should be utilised for teachers’ training programme while the models of other countries should also be considered for this purpose. He said that teachers’ training is a useful investment to ensure a bright future for the coming generations.
He said that standard of education has improved due to effective measures and solid strategy of Punjab government. The meeting also reviewed implementation of the decisions with regard to promotion of quality education in the province. Secretary Schools Education gave a briefing to the meeting in this regard.
Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed, chief secretary, Punjab Education Foundation Chairman Engineer Qamar ul Islam, secretaries concerned and educationists attended the meeting.