Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said that the department exposed fake enrollment numbers of the previous government and ensured National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) verification for all future admissions.
While reviewing 100-day performance of the Education Department, he said for the first time in history, 1.2 million students were enrolled after NADRA verification within a short period and highlighted that within the first 100 days of the government, a new transfer policy for teachers was introduced in consultation with them, ensuring transparency and benefits for teachers.
The education minister said that a pilot project for a nutrition programme had been initiated in the schools of Raiwand tehsil, with plans to extend the model to all schools. He noted that the school registration system had been made more efficient and that there was a renewed focus on the quality of education. Additionally, the department was introducing a modern system for monitoring educational institutions, he added and further mentioned that previous administrations had never taken action against cheating mafias.
He said as per the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the cheating network had been dismantled. Cameras had been installed in exam centres, leading to the elimination of the cheating mafia, the minister added.
Furthermore, significant savings of billions of rupees were made in publication of textbooks by breaking the monopoly of certain paper mills. For the first time in history, a tradition of policy-making in consultation with all stakeholders had been established, with every step taken after gaining their confidence, the minister added.
The education minister also emphasised his open-door policy for teachers, ensuring easy access for all.
He announced that on June 17, the Google for Education team would visit Pakistan for the first time, offering IT certified courses to 300,000 youths. By next year, 20 institutes in every tehsil would provide technical skills training to the youth, he added.
The minister said that a minimum of Rs1250 million was needed for education in one constituency, and a policy for better utilisation of budget resources was essential. He pledged to reform Punjab’s education system over the next five-year to the extent that even bureaucrats would prefer government educational institutions for their children.
