Literacy matters: PEF launches programme extension

FAISALABAD:

The Punjab Education Foundation (Pef) has started the fifth phase of the New School Programme. A Pef spokesperson said that underprivileged children from nine districts would be provided with free quality education under the programme.

He said that the foundation would partner with 125 schools in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lodhran, Khanewal, Bhakkar and Rahim Yar Khan among other districts. The spokesperson said that over 11,000 children were expected to benefit from the extension of the programme. The children would be educated for free till tenth standard. He said that over 79,000 children from 392 schools across a number of districts were presently being educated under the programme. The spokesperson said that the number of partner schools was expected to rise to 517 while the number of students was expected to increase to 85,000 after the extension of the programme. “This programme has provided children from remote areas with the opportunity of getting free quality education,” he said.

Separately, a district government official said that the district government would upgrade the Government Cooperative Training College. The estimated cost of the project is Rs175 million. The college would be equipped with all basic amenities. The building of the college would also be upgraded under the project. The college would also be equipped with a cutting edge computer lab.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2014.