Private institutions playing pivotal role in providing quality education: Mujtaba Shuja

Private educational institutions are playing a pivotal role in providing quality education and government highly appreciates the services of private sector for the enhancement of literacy rate, said Punjab Minister for Excise, Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman while addressing inauguration of a private management institute on Saturday.

Shuja told that provision of the education is constitutional obligation of the government, but government cannot do this duty single handedly, and requires the support of private sector in this regard.

It is encouraging that private schools are providing standardised education and presence of quality school is a healthy sign for the education system of the country. He said that scholarships of 12 billion rupees are being provided to more than 50 thousand students within the country and abroad from endowment fund and students of private education institutions are also benefiting from this fund. He said that the government considers private schools active partner in the struggle of promotion of education in the country and Rs 7.50 billion to the Punjab Education Foundation for grant to the private schools as fifteen hundred thoursand students are getting education in private schools.

The minister said that the Punjab government is pursuing a comprehensive policy for the promotion and up-gradation of school education and Rs 8 billion have been provided for the provision of missing facilities in all schools in the province. He said that Rs 3.63 billion has been provided for the distribution of free of cost textbooks to the students. He said that IT labs had been set up in more than 5000 high schools and 515 middle schools. He said that Rs 2.40 billion has been provided for provision of non-formal basic education to two million illiterate people.