RAWALPINDI: The Punjab School Education Department (PED) has decided to reopen government schools that were earlier ignored or given on contract. Teachers from these contracted schools will now be posted to the new public schools.
According to Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, more than 26,000 teachers will be posted in 1,961 government schools. No new teachers will be hired. Instead, teachers from schools with extra staff will be transferred to the newly reopened schools.
The minister said that after schools were handed over to private organizations, around 43,960 staff positions were at risk of being removed. For the last ten years, these schools existed but no teachers were appointed.
He added that each tehsil in Punjab now has 15 to 20 more government schools. The education department has posted existing teachers to these schools. The Punjab Finance Department has approved this plan.
Earlier, the Punjab School Education Department has announced a plan to enroll one crore out-of-school children in the province within the next five years.
According to official figures, more than two crore children across Pakistan are not going to school. Out of these, over one crore children belong to Punjab.
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Speaking to Private media, Punjab Education Department spokesperson Noorul Huda said that three departments will work together to meet this target.
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Punjab Education Foundation will enroll 50 lakh children.
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Government schools will take in 30 lakh children.
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Literacy Department schools will enroll 20 lakh children.
She added that all related departments have been given specific targets to achieve these admissions.
Over the years, different governments have launched many education campaigns. During Shahbaz Sharif’s time, the slogan was “Parha Likha Punjab”. The PTI government started “Parho Punjab Barho Punjab”, and the current government is now using the slogan “Parha Likha Agay Barhta Punjab”.
The federal government has also made similar promises. However, the reality is that more than two crore children are still out of school, and this number continues to grow with the population.
