Punjab government has decided to release immediately a huge amount of Rs 1.9 billion regarding practical preparation for admission of children in schools in large numbers during 'Enrollment Emergency Campaign' to be continued for 3 months from August 14 to October 21. This amount will be spent for providing missing facilities in government schools while the concerned DCOs have been directed to provide the amount issued during the last fiscal year which could not be used at the district level for construction of new rooms, boundary walls, provision of electricity and clean drinking water in government schools and these amounts would not be lapsed.
This was decided in a meeting of Commissioners, District Coordination Officers and educationists of the province presided over by Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan at Civil Secretariat, here today. Chief Secretary Punjab Javed Aslam, Secretary Information & Culture Momin Agha, Secretary Higher Education Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Secretary Schools Education Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, Secretary Environment Anwar Rasheed, Vice Chancellor LCW University Dr. Sabiha, Vice Chancellor University of Gujrat Dr. Nizam ud Din, Principal Queen Marry College Lahore Dr. Irfana Maryam, Chairman Punjab Examination Commission Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi and other concerned senior officials presented their proposals for making Punjab Enrollment Emergency Campaign a success.
Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan disclosed that Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif will inaugurate Punjab Enrollment Emergency Campaign on August 14 during a colourful function of the students at Hazoori Bagh. Divisional commissioners, vice chancellors of the universities or principals of big government colleges situated in the divisions will also attend the function. Similarly, DCOs along with all elected representatives of people of the districts will launch this campaign. At tehsil level, concerned Assistant Commissioners along with officers of Education Department, headmasters of schools and principals of colleges will hold gatherings of students, boy scouts and girl guides and will inaugurate this campaign. Master trainers will impart training to all school teachers on August 15 and 16 in each district in this regard and after it, various teams will visit each mohallah and village till October 21 to motivate the parents to send their children to school continuously. Informative brochures and pamphlets have been published with the cooperation of UNICEF which will be distributed at every house. Provincial Minister told that Gordon Brown Educational Foundation, UK has released a grant of 250.9 million pounds through Governor Punjab Ch. Muhammad Sarwar which would be spent for achieving the millennium goal of hundred per cent literacy rate during next two and a half years. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has offered that if this amount will be spent on the provision of missing facilities in government schools in a transparent manner, he will also provide the remaining required funds and their utilization would be supervised by DFID.
