‘Upgradation of schools to boost enrolment ratio’

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said the government was committed to providing four million children the best educational opportunities and the up-gradation of more than 27,000 schools would result in boosting the enrolment ratio in the province.

He expressed these views while chairing a meeting to review education sector reforms on Monday. The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, Education Minister Murad Raas, secretaries of the Information and School Education Departments and others.

Addressing the meeting, the CM expressed his satisfaction that 10,000 schools of south Punjab were also included in this list, he added.

While giving the details, the CM said that more than 20,000 primary schools would be upgraded to the elementary level in the first phase.

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“As many as 6,653 elementary schools will be given the status of high schools in the next phase,” he said. “Similarly, high schools will be upgraded as higher secondary schools.”

The CM stressed that schools would be upgraded purely on a merit basis without caring for any political recommendations or attachment. He disclosed that the second shift for elementary classes have been planned in primary schools while the second shift elementary classes will also be started in elementary schools. Besides this, the CM added that 6,653 computer and science labs will also be established in upgraded schools.

“It is satisfactory that 1 million out of school children are enrolled in government schools in one year and schools' councils have been reconstituted alongside,” the CM concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2021.