606 girls, 621 boys’ schools to be upgraded: Usman Buzdar

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday chaired a meeting in his office and reviewed the reforms in the school education sector.

The meeting was told that 1,227 schools had been upgraded by the Punjab government without spending any penny and the notification had also been issued, said a handout. The CM told the participants that 606 girl schools and 621 boy schools would be upgraded in the province and added that 3,315 surplus teachers of elementary schools would continue to serve in the upgraded schools.

The 3,933 additional classrooms in elementary schools would be utilised for secondary classes, he added. He assured that additional teaching staff would not be transferred anywhere and they would continue to serve in the same schools.

Thus, the government has saved Rs16 billion by utilising available resources. The CM announced that more than 100,000 students would benefit from up-gradation of elementary schools to secondary level.

The elementary schools, consisting of nine classrooms and six teachers, would be upgraded and the secondary schools would be upgraded to higher secondary level in the second phase, he added.

Provincial Minister for School Education Murad Raas told that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for schools were being devised and students would be given masks.

Hand-washing arrangements and availability of sanitizers would also be ensured in schools, he said and added the PEF (Punjab Education Foundation) partner schools' 50 per cent dues, up to the month of May, had already been paid.

He said that 1,000 classrooms had also been constructed in different schools in various districts. He said, under the project, a total of 2,000 classrooms would be built. He said that Daanish School would be soon inaugurated in Vehari District. Secretary School Education Sara Aslam and others officers concerned were also attended the meeting.