LAHORE: A high-level meeting was held under the chair of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday. The meeting, which lasted for three hours, took a detailed review of various programmes of education promotion as well as educational matters pertaining to Cholistan area in Bahawalpur Division. The meeting approved the lunch of Meals Program for students in schools across the province, besides approving the provision of school bags to the students. It also decided to start Khadim-e-Punjab School Sawari Program in the province.
While addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the pilot project of Meals Program for the school children will be started from the districts of Muzaffargarh and Layyah. Under this program, the students will be provided packets of energy biscuits and milk to help improve their health.
He directed to devise a foolproof mechanism to best implement this program. He said that under the Khadim-e-Punjab School Sawari Program, school students will be provided free transport facilities and hoped that it would particularly benefit students from far-flung and remote areas as it will prove to be a game-changer initiative in education promotion. He said that the pilot project of this program will be started in six selected districts of the province, adding that a comprehensive plan should be presented for the initiation of this program.
The chief minister said that a program to introduce technical education in the schools has also been planned. Under this program, technical education will be started from 8th to 10th classes and 39 schools have already been identified for this program. He said that innovative approach is needed to bring all boys and girls of Cholistan area to schools to achieve educational targets. These targets could be achieved by involving the local NGOs in educational programs relating to the Cholistan.
“I want every Cholistani boy and girl to be in the schools,” he added.
Mobile schooling is a good initiative and the number of such mobile schools should be increased in Cholistan, he added. Every step should be taken to educate Cholistani kids and technical education institutes should be set up to provide employment opportunities to the people of Cholistan, he further said.
The chief minister directed to constitute a committee which would recommend different proposals for the promotion of education after a visit of Cholistan. In the light of the recommendations of this committee, different steps would be taken for education promotion in an organised manner.
The chief minister said that the Punjab government has taken result-oriented steps to promote education and effective results have been seen in the enrollment campaign 2017-18. Third party validation will be held to achieve the targets of enrollment campaign.
He also said that Zaiver-e-Taleem Program is successfully going on in 16 selected districts where thousands of girls are benefiting from this program. Meanwhile, Rs 6 billion has been allocated for this program in the provincial budget 2017-18.
Commitment and hard work are required to make the country stronger, he added and told that every effort for the promotion of education should be made as the nations which prioritise education have achieved the pinnacles of glory.
Secretary Schools Education Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik gave a detailed presentation about implementation on educational programs and the future course of action. Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Syed Raza Ali Gillani, Chairman Punjab Education Foundation Qamar-ul-Islam Raja, Additional Chief Secretary, Vice Chairman PEEF, Secretaries of different departments, educational experts, and concerned officials attended the meeting; Provincial Minister Iqbal Channar, MPA Ejaz Shafi and Commissioner Bahawalpur Division attended the meeting through a video link.