Policy priority: ‘Opponents of welfare projects are hindering development’

CM says the target of provision of quality education and enrolment of every child in school by 2018 has to be achieved

LAHORE:

All available resources are being utilised for development projects in education sector, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday.

He was talking to a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz delegation.

“Education is the only key to development, self-reliance and sustainable solution of problems. Extremism can only be overcome through promotion of quality education,” he said.

The CM said that the government had made education its top priority. “Billions of rupees is being spent on programmes of equipping the new generation with education. This amounts to an investment for a bright future for the nation,” he said.

He said that there would be no shortage of resources for the promotion of quality education. “More than 100,000 students are getting education in prestigious educational institutions through the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund,” he said.

He said that laptops had been distributed among hundreds of thousands of students.

“Students from all the provinces are benefiting from the educational programmes of the Punjab government,” he said.

The chief minister said that quality education was being provided to select children of backward areas through Daanish School System. “Free education is being provided to talented children of poorest families in Daanish schools,” he said.

The chief minister said those criticising Daanish Schools did not want the children of low-income families to get quality education. “Like the children of the elite, children from low-income families have the right to quality education. Some of the former rulers of the Punjab plundered public funds in the name of education.

The education sector was ruined in the name of Parha Likha Punjab. Nepotism and corruption were promoted and merit was violated,” he said. He said that billions of rupees in bank loans were written off on political basis during the period. He said that the people had rejected them in the 2013 general elections and the local bodies’ elections the politicians associated with these governments.

“Those opposing public welfare projects are trying to hinder Pakistan’s development. The projects aimed at development and prosperity of the people will continue,” he said.

He said that the government was moving forward on promotion of education under Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab programme. “The target of provision of quality education and enrolment of every child in schools by 2018 has to be achieved at all costs,” he said.

The chief minister said that quality education was the right of every child in the province. He said that achievement of targets fixed under Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab programme would bring a revolution in the education sector.

He said that construction and rehabilitation of dilapidated school buildings was being carried out on a priority basis.

“The government has invested billions of rupees in the education sector during the last eight years. More funds will be provided in future in this regard,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th,  2016.