Education sector: Beneficiaries set to rise to 2.3 million

LAHORE: As a result of continued annual expansions in free educational initiatives of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), the total number of beneficiaries will rise to 2.3 million students by the end of the year, PEF MD Tariq Mehmood said on Tuesday.

The PEF MD made the remarks while briefing programme committee members on the foundation’s expansion plans being carried out in partnership with its partnering private schools. Convener Amjad Saqib chaired the meeting. Various agenda items including expansion of programmes, budget estimates for the consequent year and effective exploitation of public-private partnership initiatives were reviewed on the occasion.

Mehmood presented a comprehensive briefing on the PEF’s role and contribution towards providing free education to children from underprivileged backgrounds. He said the foundation had been striving hard to realise its various targets. Mehmood said the PEF had recruited over 100 monitoring and evaluation assistants to guarantee effective monitoring of partnering schools across the province’s various districts.

The PEF MD said inclusive education had been introduced for differently-abled children from disadvantaged backgrounds across seven districts including Lahore. He said this had enabled them to acquire quality education alongside others. Those present on the occasion were informed that the Directorate of Staff Development had planned a capacity building exercise of 6,000 teachers. On this account, they were informed, 145 trainings would be organised across six districts.

Those present on the occasion observed that the teachers’ certification process would help improve education standards by introducing instructors to latest concepts in pertinent subjects. They also noted that 45 per cent of students enrolled across PEF-sponsored schools were girls. Those present said this could be raised to 50 per cent in a bid to ensure gender parity. PEF programme directors also briefed them on the respective performance in their jurisdictions.

Saqib directed the officials to work proactively. He instructed them to ensure that grievances of PEF partner schools were addressed to ensure promotion of education.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2016.