PEF schooling for special children

LAHORE

Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has provided free schooling facilities to the children with minor disabilities in seven selected districts under the Punjab Inclusive Education Project (PIEP). For this purpose, partnership has been made with 194 private educational institutions. This landmark project is launched in collaboration with the Special Education Department.

Punjab Education Foundation Managing Director Tariq Mahmood said this while presiding over meeting at his office on Wednesday to review the pace of progress on the PIEP, according to a handout issued here. Representatives of Special Education Department, besides different PEF officials, were also present.

The meeting reviewed the pace of progress of the project and observed that this initiative was very important for rehabilitating the children with minor disabilities.

PEF MD commended the support extended by the Special Education Department who will also provide devices to the students to help continue their studies. The meeting was told that 194 PIEP partnering schools were situated in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Vehari, Multan, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts. These schools are provided with funds to develop their infrastructure for facilitating the physically challenged students. PEF has arranged capacity building training for teachers so that they could best handle and educate such students.

Tariq Mahmood said that people should be sensitised to send their special children to nearby schools so that they could be rehabilitated through education; while the conducive school-atmosphere would infuse self-confidence in them. It is heartening that the foundation has introduced different useful reforms for enabling the children from low-income families to study. It is hoped that the PIEP will go a long way in securing the future of special children by making them self-sufficient citizens, he added.

PCP: Lahore Transport Company as a not-for–profit organisation has become the first public sector urban transport organisation in Pakistan to have attained the membership of Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP) after meeting meticulous parameters set by PCP.

The PCP was established under Section 42 of Companies Ordinance 1984. Its membership will give the LTC tax exemption benefits, while the achievement reflected the efficient public service delivery of LTC towards modern urban transport culture.

PCP officials observed that LTC had well-structured systems and practices in place and its 11-member board was actively involved in overseeing the organisation’s various interventions. With regards to financial management, LTC has strict controls and stringent measures embedded in its policies, procedures and practices, they said.