Drive launched to enrol 1.2m children in schools in Punjab

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has launched a campaign to enrol 1.2 million children in public schools this year.

The government will take admissions from nursery to grade eighth in all public schools across the province.

The children aged up to four years will be enrolled in the playgroup and early childhood classes, while those aged between 5 and 12 years will be given admissions from nursery to grade five.

An official said a priority would be to girls applying for admission and that the schools with more enrolment would conduct a second shift.

The schools in the rural areas will run under a community model school system in which primary schools will convert into middle schools in the evening while middle schools will transform into high schools in the evening.

The plan has been forwarded to district education officers (DEOs) of all 36 districts of Punjab.

To increase the likelihood of admissions, the government will use banners, posters and standees outside and nearby schools.

The expenditure for this purpose would be done from the school council budget.

All school heads, teachers as well as lawmakers have been tasked to increase enrolments in public schools starting from February

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2021.