Public-private partnerships for education stressed

Islamabad : Federal education secretary Mohyuddin Wani on Saturday advocated for the inclusion of education in the national discourse and said that public-private partnerships were crucial for advancing formal education.

During a session on the second day of the three-day Literature Festival here, the secretary said that 65,000 children in Islamabad's primary schools were given free meals, while free eye screening had been introduced for schoolchildren. He added that the ministry had set up health centres in 125 schools.

The secretary said early childhood education sessions had started in 100 schools. He added that the renovation of public schools in Islamabad was under way, with 125 schools being converted to solar power in the next three months. Wani said that 8,000 girls travelled between school and home daily on the Prime Minister's Pink Buses.

He said seven schools were setting up artificial intelligence and robotics labs, and software technology parks had been established in five colleges in Islamabad. The secretary noted that the ministry had converted 550 classrooms into smart classrooms, and set up art and podcast rooms in 20 schools. He added that 5,000 students had transferred from private schools to public schools in the city, where international languages were also being taught. Wani said that 2,500 teachers had been trained in financial literacy, while for the first time in Islamabad, telescopes had been installed in schools.