Quality education top priority: minister

LAHORE: Provincial Minister Raja Yasir Hamayun has said that provision of quality education did not remain a priority of previous governments but it is now on top of agenda of the present government.

He mentioned that steps are being taken to give Urdu status of educational language at federal level and a strategy would be devised after taking into consideration all aspects. He stated this while talking to a delegation of 20th National Security Workshop comprising parliamentarians, senior civil and military officers and members of civil society who visited the CM’s House here on Friday.

Representing the chief minister, Provincial Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Hamayun and Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar welcomed the delegates. The delegation led by Institute of Strategic Studies and Research Analysis, National Defence University Director General Maj-Gen Muhammad Samrez Salik was given briefing on development projects, education reforms and use of IT for good governance in Punjab.

Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister Raja Yasir Hamayun said that provision of quality education did not remain a priority of previous governments but it is now on top of agenda of the present government.

He mentioned that steps are being taken to give Urdu status of educational language at federal level and a strategy would be devised after taking into consideration all aspects. To a question, he said that the chief minister is ‘centre of power’ in Punjab and all other persons and departments are assisting him. The powers of chief minister are being discussed in media due to one-man show in the past. Every person is working within his domain, he added.

About police performance, he mentioned that police reforms are imperative. Steps are being taken to empower SHOs and introduce a system of checks and balances. He said that subjects of general education would be made part of four-year degree programme to keep students aware of basic knowledge. Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar told the participants that previous governments did not do justice regarding distribution of resources among different areas in the province.