School education: EDOs told to enroll all out-of-school kids

Khidmat Cards to be given to families of out-of-school brick kiln children

LAHORE: The School Education Department’s executive district officers (EDOs) met at the Directorate of Staff Development (DSD) on Saturday to review performance and finalise development schemes.

The conference was held under the chairmanship of School Education Secretary Abdul Jabbar Shaheen. EDOs had been directed to provide details of head teachers who had failed to achieve retention and enrolment targets. The EDOs also presented details of schools where students had failed to appear in the Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) examinations or had performed poorly. PEC examination results were also discussed at the meeting.

The meeting also reviewed the enrolment of underage brick kiln workers who were still out of school. The EDOs were directed to ensure 100 per cent enrolment of identified children. They were also directed to ensure provision of Khidmat Cards to the families of out-of-school brick kiln children. They were directed to ensure that these children got free textbooks, uniforms and stationery.

The officials were directed to provide progress reports about the Punjab government’s Emergency Enrolment Campaign Phase-II. The EDOs were also told to enroll children identified by the Labour Department, who were found working at workshops, petrol pumps, and other work places. The EDOs were told to achieve class-wise enrolment and retention targets given by the government.

The officials were also directed to ensure adjustment of teachers and non-teaching staff of schools being handed over to the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) under Public School Support Programme (PSSP) Phase-II. The officials were directed to ensure smooth handing over of schools to the PEF and to ensure provision of free textbooks to PSSP schools. The EDOs were directed to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the government for anti-dengue campaign in schools. They were also directed to take steps for safety at schools during the monsoon season.

The district education officers were instructed to complete the recruitment of educators and assistant education officers (AEOs). The new AEOs and educators will be provided training.

They were also told to ensure utilisation of non-salary budgets on cleanliness, white washing school premises, hiring of coaches and repairing and polishing of furniture before opening of schools.

Furthermore, the meeting was informed that computer and science labs at all schools were functional. Other responsibilities given to EDOs included identifying the number of primary schools along with enrolment and teaching posts there and data of schools with the number of classrooms available.

The EDOs were told to monitor and provide information on schemes related to reconstruction of dangerous buildings, construction of additional classrooms, provision of missing facilities, procurement of IT lab equipment and SMART boards, provision of solar panels in schools. The secretary asked the officials to provide lists of teachers for promotion, regularisation and pension cases.

Lahore Education EDO Tariq Rafiq said that the meeting had reviewed pending school development projects. “We provided information related to the development schemes and other on-going projects about respective districts,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2016.