Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presided over a three hours long meeting here today in which progress of steps taken under Education Reforms Programme was reviewed in detail. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that monthly stipend of female students of class six to matric has been augmented from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1000 in 16 districts of South Punjab which will hopefully increase enrollment rate of students. He assured that human resource from other departments will be engaged in census activities rather than indulging teachers so that they can fulfill teaching responsibility with more concentration. Shehbaz Sharif said that 36000 new rooms will be constructed in different schools under Khadim-e-Punjab Schools Programme which will be equipped with all necessary educational facilities as well. This initiative will help into an upturn in enrollment rate of students which will start from April 2017, he added. The Chief Minister said that three lakh eighty thousand students have been enrolled in one year and dropout rate has shrunk much however more efforts should be made to achieve the set target. He said that out-source of schools showing poor performance was a successful strategy which has improved the standard of education and this model needs to be prolonged further. He said that providing quality education is our mission nevertheless this requires proper training of teachers as well. He directed the concerned authorities to present a detailed plan for teachers’ training after reading best models of around the globe and committee established in this regard to finalize strategy plan after consultation. Shehbaz Sharif said that teachers are architects of our bright future as destiny of our students’ lies with them so Government is vigilant to provide them with their due respect and also recruited 80 thousand new teachers in schools transparently. He said that eight billion rupees are being spent on construction and repair of dilapidated school buildings. He commended Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed, Sectary Schools Education and their whole team for the achievement of high enrollment and lower dropout rate. Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmed, Syed Raza Ali Gillani, Advisor Dr. Umer Saif, Chief Sectary, Chairman Punjab Education Foundation, Chairman Higher Education Punjab, educationists, sectaries of concerned departments and team members of Education Reform Program attended the meeting.
