Education for all: Education uplift projects for DG Khan announced

Minister says the unemployed educated youth would be appointed coaches at schools

DERA GHAZI KHAN: The government is working on a policy to provide employment to the educated youth of Dera Ghazi Khan, Minister Rana Mashhood said at a meeting at the Fort Munro Jirga Hall on Thursday.

A special team will design an NTS exam for this. Preference will be given to intermediate candidates who would be appointed as coaches at educational institutes. Pass marks have been slashed from 50 to 45 according to a new policy but people from less developed areas will get further relaxation. He said exam centres for matriculation exams will be set up in the area.

He asked the education EDO to prepare a list of unemployed educated youth by August 31 and tell them to prepare for the NTS exam. He said they will get Rs7,000 each as an honorarium each month.

The minister said a cadet college would be constructed at Fort Munro. “This will be a gift to the people of Dera Ghazi Khan.” He said the college would be built on 200 acres.

The land has been acquired for Rs14.5 million, he said. The government has allocated Rs501.2 million for the project. He said the government had released Rs104 million of the amount.

Mashhood also visited several schools in the tribal areas. He checked their attendance records and examined the kind of facilities provided to them. He told the teachers to engage the students in more extracurricular activities and to display the class attendance on a board.

On learning that the science laboratory at the Government Girls Middle School at Fort Munro did not have a power backup, the minister directed the principal to arrange for one without delay.

Mashhood said the Government Girls Middle School would be upgraded to a high school in the next financial year.

“Our first priority right now must be to make sure there is sufficient furniture available and that the school boundary walls are built.”

He gave a certificate of appreciation to Headmistress Zeenat Bibi.

Local leaders placed a Baloch turban on Mashood’s head as a token of honour.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2016.