Empowering youth: Higher education reforms to benefit students, says minister

Computerised system is being designed to monitor working of higher education

LAHORE: Higher education sector is being developed at par with international standards while the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has played a pivotal role in continuation of studies for intelligent and needy students.

This was said by Provincial Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani while addressing the participants of speech competition at Government Postgraduate Islamia College for Women on Tuesday.

He said Punjab government has paved the way for composite national development through education-promotion. He maintained, “It is expected that the total number of PEEF beneficiaries would reach 0.2 million by May this year.”



Gillani said intelligent students were also provided scholarships to study abroad. “We believe that educated youth is the best human resource and any investment in it will ultimately benefit the whole country. That is why, the youth has been provided with different educational facilities to empower themselves according to their abilities and talents,” he pointed out.

Highlighting the need for enhanced opportunities for girls in higher educational institutions, he said, “The provincial government is fully committed to educate every girl as they are half of the population and play an important role in national development.”  He said Punjab has emerged as the hub of quality educational institutions where students from different parts of the country come for studies in large numbers.

On the occasion, the minister also met with the Islamia College faculty. He said the faculty development programme had been launched for capacity building of teachers. In addition, he added that result-based performance of colleges would be monitored.

Similarly, a college ranking system had been contemplated to help the students to choose best institutions for studies. This will also encourage the teachers to work hard, he added.

Raza Ali said efforts were being taken to introduce steps for hygienic canteens where students will get quality eatables at affordable prices. He said teachers need to maintain students’ interest in studies and also try to increase their curiosity, which will help them become lifelong learners.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2017.