DFID team visits PEF

LAHORE

A six-member delegation of Department For International Development (DFID) visited Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) and called on its chairman here on Tuesday.

The delegation was led by Senior Education Adviser/Team Leader (Policy) Edward Davis. Speaking on the occasion, PEF Chairman Qamar-ul-Islam Raja said Punjab Education Foundation was the universally recognised model of free school education that helped the low income families to continue education of their kids without any burden. Keeping in view its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, it had been decided to open new primary schools through the platform of the foundation in the Punjab as such schools are available near localities of impecunious strata, he added.

Qamar-ul-Islam Raja said education-wise backward areas had been identified through GIS mapping and private entrepreneurs were encouraged to open schools in these areas in partnership with the foundation. 

PEF Managing Director Tariq Mahmood said monitoring and evaluation staff had been appointed at the district level to help maintain required standards. He said quality of teaching of partner schools was being improved through capacity building workshops. 

Edward Davis termed the PEF internationally famous model of public private partnership in education and said the foundation was taken as a model.  Different programme directors briefed about their part in promotion of education.