Funding for PEF, PEIMA schools increased

LAHORE: Provincial School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat announced a significant increase in funding for PEF and PEIMA schools. This boost in funds aimed to empower partner schools, enabling them to enhance the quality of education provided to the students.

The minister made this announcement during his meeting with school owners affiliated with the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) and Punjab Education Institution Management Authority (PEIMA) at the PEF head office here on Thursday.

Highlighting the importance of timely financial support, the minister emphasised the provision of advance funds for a period of six months to both PEF and PEIMA. This measure aimed to streamline payment processes to partner schools, ensuring prompt disbursement of salaries to teachers and other staff members without any delays.

Expressing the government's commitment to education, the minister underscored the special attention being given by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz towards the education sector. He reiterated the directive to prioritise the enrollment of out-of-school children, emphasising the effectiveness of the public-private partnership model in achieving educational goals.

He reiterated, through this model, the light of knowledge will be spread among the deprived classes, ensuring that no child is deprived of education due to lack of resources. PEF Managing Director Shahid Farid expressed gratitude to the provincial minister for the decision to increase funding for partner schools.

He commended the remarkable results achieved by PEF and PEIMA, highlighting their efficiency in achieving educational objectives with minimal expenditure. He further emphasised the pivotal role played by these institutions in establishing schools in those areas where no school was available.

Minister vows to make Punjab 100pc literate, green

Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has expressed his determination to make Punjab 100% literate and green and said that plantation was as important as education.

The minister said this while addressing ceremonies in connection with tree plantation in Government APWA College and Government Pilot School on Thursday.

He announced scholarships to 10 students of Government APWA College every year from his own pocket, saying that he is making a comprehensive transport policy for the education of girls, which will facilitate the transportation of girl students.

Rana Sikandar further said that the government was working on a plan to bring 1 million out of school children to schools while a strategy was also being prepared to make schools self-sustainable.

“Our target is to plant one million saplings in government schools,” the minister said and added that in this regard, we have to create interest in our generation about plantations and make them aware of the benefits of plants.

The education minister further said that we have to fight air quality index and combat global warming by planting trees while speeding up work on climate change policy.

Answering a question, he said that the government will empower school councils to improve schools and enable teachers, communities and principals to work together to solve problems of schools.