5,888 get degrees at UOE convocation 

LAHORE

Around 5,888 graduates were conferred upon degrees at the 5th convocation of the University of Education held here on Tuesday. Also, 196 position holders were awarded medals.

Among the successful graduates, 2,504 students of BEd, 67 BEd Special Education, 490 MEd, 107 MEd and MA Special Education, 67 BFA, 331 MA Education, 29 MA Education L&M, 493 MA, 497 MSc  students, 200 MBA students, 187 BBA (Hons), 187 BS (Hons), 107 MPhil students and 15 PhDs received the degrees.

University of Education (UOE) Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Rauf-i-Azam presided over the convocation while Punjab Minister for Higher Education/Pro-Chancellor Syed Raza Ali Gillani and Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin were the chief guests. 

Addressing the convocation, the minister said the Punjab government was committed to ensuring quality education, adding the government had taken concrete steps for improvement of education. He congratulated the students and said it was now their duty to pay back to society and contribute to the nation building and development. 

Prof Dr Rauf–i-Azam said the UOE was achieving the milestones of need-based multi-level education and developing talent development institution by using its knowledge, resources and skills for growth of human resource. He also spoke about academics, research, development, extension programmes and community services of the university. 

The VC said although UOE had three campuses at Lahore but none of them had enough space to cater for the needs of a forward looking modern university; therefore, 400 acre was required in the immediate suburbs of Lahore for the establishment of the main campus of the university.

Dr Nizam said there was a need to invest in promotion of education so that quality education could be delivered. 

child labour: The Punjab government is fully committed to eradicate child labour from the province, this was stated by Sohail Shahzad, Secretary Labour and Human Resource Department while chairing a meeting Tuesday at committee room of the department. 

He stated a mega project regarding elimination of child Labour and bonded labour had already been launched in Punjab which aimed to eliminate bonded and child labour through education, technical and vocational training. He said that, so far, 88,000 brick-kiln children and 41,000 children had been involved in labour from three sectors i.e. hotel/restaurants, petrol pumps and workshops. Now they have been enrolled in schools. 

He said Punjab Bureau of Statistics had conducted the survey in Punjab and children between 5 and 15 years of age were being enrolled in formal and non-formal schools in line with the initiative of the chief minister. He said that incentives were being given to brick-kiln children through Khidmat Card by adopting transparent comprehensive procedure.