LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz chaired a special meeting of the School Education Department for a detailed briefing on the existing and proposed projects of school education.
She was briefed by the authorities concerned saying, “Outsourcing of more than 11,000 schools has been completed in Punjab, and the enrollment of children has increased manifold.”
She congratulated minister for education on the enrollment of 1.1 million out-of-school children under the Punjab Education Foundation.
The chief minister directed the School Management Councils to provide necessary facilities in schools worth Rs10 billion within 90 days. She also directed them to build required classrooms in all schools within a year, and said, “Repair 580 most dilapidated and 2,770 precarious school buildings. Construction and repair of schools is among our top priorities.”
She set a target of spoken English training of five lakh children of government schools from English trainers. She directed the relevant authorities to expand the scope of school meal programme to other districts and tehsils keeping in view number of children suffering from malnutrition there. She also directed them to build Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence for girls and boys in every district and set a target of upgrading 1,750 schools in five years. She was briefed, “Up-gradation of 250 schools will be done in the next financial year, and 300 tech-ed schools will be built in 10 tehsils of Punjab. Construction and repair of 195 classrooms, and roofs of 397 rooms in outsourced schools will be carried out.”
The chief minister was also apprised, “254,538 square feet of boundary wall, 414 toilets and 1,543 water tanks were constructed in outsourced schools in the province.” She said, “IT and science lab, library, multipurpose playground, smart board and other modern facilities will be available in Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence.” She also reviewed the project of Nawaz Sharif Center of Excellence for Early Child Education and was presented with a project of constructing boundary wall, 4,066 toilets, 8,488 furniture items and 100 water filtration plants in 4,327 schools across Punjab.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said STEM labs will be built on SMC model in Punjab schools. She underscored, “Every school will have all necessary facilities including toilets. Steps are being taken to install solar systems in schools.”
Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz in her message on International Firefighters Day said, “We pay tribute to the brave and dedicated firefighters who stand firm in the face of fire and dangers,” She added, “In every hour of trial, where everyone retreats, these protectors fulfill their pledge to serve humanity by jumping into the flames. Firefighters are not just fire extinguishers, but come forward as a ray of hope in hour of trial.”
The chief minister said, “Steps have been taken to increase capacity of Rescue 1122 firefighters in Punjab.” She added, “The latest equipment has been provided to Rescue 1122 firefighters to ensure safety. We are committed to the welfare of all rescue personnel, including firefighters.”
Published in News Daily on 05-May-2025.
