Higher education: Govt to set up varsity or sub-campus in each district

Minister says funds are being spent on provision of quality education

MULTAN: The government is making efforts to establish at least one university or sub-campus at district level across the country for promotion of higher education, said State Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Baligh Ur Rehman.

He was addressing a prize distribution ceremony of a quiz programme held under auspices of Association for Academic Quality (AFAQ) on Saturday. He said the incumbent government is spending huge funds on provision of missing facilities and promotion of quality education in the country. “We have increased funds of Higher Education Commission from Rs41 billion to Rs82 billion, and in near future, these funds will further be raised by Rs91 billion,” he added.

The minister said that National Curriculum Council had been made to bring uniformity of curriculum with consensus of all provinces. The government would introduce Quranic Education through act of parliament and a bill would be tabled in the National Assembly and Senate in near future in this regard, he added. Special focus would be given to the character building of students, he said, adding that some new subjects related to healthcare, energy conservation, cleanliness, water consumption etc would be introduced. “Chinese society introduced these subjects in their curriculum a few years ago and it is getting good response,” he said.

Baligh said that students’ strength in schools had been improved due to the efforts of the government.

JI MPA Dr Wasim Akhtar also spoke on the occasion. The minister also awarded cash prizes to students who performed well in encylopedia quiz competition held at the provincial level.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2017.