100-day performance of School Education Dept reviewed

LAHORE: Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, while reviewing the 100-day performance of the School Education Department, stated that the department exposed the fake enrolment numbers of the previous government and ensured NADRA verification for all future admissions.

According to a handout, for the first time in history, 1.2 million students were enrolled after NADRA verification within a short period. Rana Sikandar Hayat highlighted that within the first 100 days of the government, a new transfer policy for teachers was introduced in consultation with them, ensuring transparency and benefits for teachers. A pilot project for a nutrition programme has been initiated in the schools of Raiwind Tehsil, with plans to extend this model to all schools. He noted that the school registration system has been made more efficient and that there was a renewed focus on the quality of education.

The minister said that under the instructions of the CM, the cheating network had been dismantled while cameras installed in exam centres, leading to the elimination of the cheating mafia. Furthermore, significant savings of billions of rupees were achieved in the publication of textbooks by breaking the monopoly of certain paper mills. For the first time in history, a tradition of policy-making in consultation with all stakeholders has been established, with every step taken after gaining their confidence. This level of consultation was absent in the past.

Sikandar Hayat also announced that on June 17, the Google for Education team will visit Pakistan for the first time, offering IT certified courses to 300,000 youths. By next year, 20 institutes in every tehsil will provide technical skills training to the youth. Additionally, 100 colleges have been selected to start courses, including MCAT and GMAT.

The minister stated that a minimum of Rs1.250 billion was needed for education in one constituency, and a policy for better utilisation of budget resources was essential. He pledged to reform Punjab's education system over the next five years to the extent that even bureaucrats will prefer government educational institutions for their children.