LAHORE:Punjab Minister for Literacy & Non-Formal Basic Education Department Raja Rashid Hafeez said that the department was fully aware of risks attached with current pandemic situation and had prepared SOPs for safe reopening of schools and post-COVID learning plans for the safety and wellbeing of the school community.
The minister said the incumbent government accorded due priority to Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education by giving opportunities for equitable access to quality literacy for all illiterate adults, out-of-school girls and boys and population of all ages in Punjab. Addressing the attendees of a consultative session, organised by the Literacy Department Punjab on the eve of "International Literacy Day" here Tuesday, he said that the government aimed to contribute to the individual as well as collective development of societies in many ways.
Secretary Literacy Sumaira Samad, former secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh, Sajjad Haider from JICA, Shehzad Haroon Bhutta (Director Academics Special Education), Qaiser Rasheed (Additional Secretary, Budget & Planning) Schools Department, Shaheen Atiq-ur-Rahman, Kazim Basharat, Sonia Javed, Kamran Iftikhar and others also spoke on the occasion.
Talking about the achievements of the Literacy Department, Rashid Hafeez said that under the supervision of the chief minister, the department formulated and launched first-ever Punjab Literacy and Non-formal Education Policy in 2019. “It aims to create enabling environment and equitable opportunities for all children, adolescents and adults for life-long literacy, life skills and livelihood skills,” he added. The minister said that Literacy Department successfully completed its six on-going development projects and formulated a project named “Ilm-O-Hunar” for the provision of literacy along with vocational skill", he explained. He added one of his department’s major milestones was the enrolment of 51,218 out-of-school children under “Enrolment Campaigns” 2018-19 and 2019-20 and the establishment of 377 Non-Formal Educational Institutions (NFEIs) at kilns for 12,441 learners. Sumaira Samad shared views about current literacy situation in Punjab, challenges and the way-outs. Dr Allah Bakhsh shared his views about how to solve education problems and presented work plan for post-COVID situation.
GCU hostels superintendents: Government College University (GCU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi appointed new superintendents of its hostels on Tuesday.
A GCU spokesperson said that the appointments were made after a rigorous process of applications and discussion about the interested faculty and staff members.
Prof Dr Tehreema Iftikhar, the Chairperson of Botany Department, has been appointed as the Superintendent of Fatima Jinnah Hostel, while Dr Muhammad Abid Nadeem, In-charge Security and Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies Department has been directed to assume charge as the Superintendent of lqbal Hostel. Dr Asghar Zaidi appointed Prof Dr Babar Aziz, the Chairperson of Economics Department and Muhammad Irfan Randhawa the Lecturer of English Department, as the superintendents of New Hostel and Quaid-e-Azam Hostel respectively for a period of two years. Dr Asif Ali, Chairperson, Physical Education Programme is appointed as Superintendent, Boys Hostel, KSK Campus. Prof Zaidi said it was the first time when the university had adopted a merit-based system of selections to find most suitable faculty members for appointment as the hostels’ superintendents.
Two PU students awarded PhDs: Punjab University (PU) has awarded PhDs to two of its students.
Sana Aslam, daughter of Muhammad Aslam, has been awarded PhD in the subject of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics after approval of her thesis entitled ‘Diversity of Aquatic Actinomycetes in Selected Lakes of Pakistan and their Biotechnological Applications’ and Amber Mubeen, daughter of Malak Rahmat Ali, in the subject of Communication Studies after approval of her thesis entitled ‘Relationship Between Viewers’ Consumption and TV Political Programmes to Create Political Efficacy’.
