Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday announced the distribution of 100,000 laptops to students and 50,000 additional Honhaar Scholarships to support higher education. She also announced the allocation of Rs40 billion for the construction and renovation of bathrooms, classrooms and furniture in government schools across Punjab.
The chief minister further announced the establishment of computer, information technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and STEAM laboratories in government schools throughout the province.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of 10 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence in the Sahiwal Division at Arifwala, the chief minister received an enthusiastic welcome from students, who greeted her as their “superhero.” She asked the children to pledge their love and commitment to Pakistan.
Maryam Nawaz said she became emotional while visiting the Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence, adding that even many expensive private schools did not possess such impressive infrastructure. She said the institutions had qualified principals and teachers, AI laboratories and fully air-conditioned classrooms.
She said it had always pained her to see talented students studying under poor conditions and stressed that no child’s potential should be limited by a lack of resources.
The chief minister said old traditions were being broken and girls across Punjab were progressing with confidence. “Many gifted children fail to realise their dreams due to financial constraints. I want every child in Punjab to study without worrying about resources because your government will provide them,” she said.
She reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence across Punjab, saying that deserving students would now have access to world-class educational facilities regardless of their financial background.
Maryam Nawaz said students unable to afford higher education would benefit from the Honahaar Scholarship Programme, while graduates would be provided business loans to help them become financially independent.
She said the Punjab government was imparting skill development training to 500,000 students and would provide Rs300,000 through the Parwaaz Card to cover travel expenses for skilled youth seeking employment in Gulf countries. She added that employment arrangements had also been made for trained workers abroad.
“We are providing these opportunities so that every son and daughter of Pakistan can succeed,” she said, adding that the government would never leave Punjab’s youth alone and would continue supporting them.
The chief minister said government schools had deteriorated due to the negligence of previous administrations but claimed that the current government had allocated the highest education budget in the country’s 77-year history.
“It is the state’s responsibility to provide children with education and employment opportunities,” she remarked.
Maryam Nawaz said students should develop political awareness to distinguish between good and bad leadership. She noted that Punjab had 49,000 government schools, of which 10,000 had already been upgraded, while work on 300 Schools of Eminence was under way.
She said these model schools were being established not only in major cities but also in smaller districts such as Arifwala, Dina and Bhakkar to ensure equal educational opportunities across the province.
The chief minister said there was no distinction between South Punjab, North Punjab and Lahore, adding that every citizen of Punjab was equally her responsibility.
She said the government would provide laptops and iPads to deserving students who could not afford them and announced that 100,000 electric bikes would also be distributed among students. She said male students would pay a Rs15,000 down payment, while female students would receive the bikes without any down payment.
Referring to the recent Kahna tragedy, Maryam Nawaz appealed to parents to ensure the safety of their children and avoid taking them to unsafe locations. She said she had been unable to sleep for three days after the incident and expressed deep concern over accidents involving children falling into drains and open manholes. She urged the public to help protect manhole covers from theft, saying public cooperation was essential for preventing such incidents.
The chief minister said every child at the Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence was receiving 100 per cent free education, irrespective of economic background. She said education was the greatest source of equality and opened the doors to opportunity. She noted that around 5,000 students competed for every 1,000 admissions to the Schools of Eminence, adding that children of labourers and senior government officers would study together.
Maryam Nawaz said visits to schools in South Punjab had revealed that many children attended classes without breakfast and often fainted due to hunger. She said the government’s school nutrition programme, under which milk packs and biscuits were being provided to 1.2 million children, had significantly increased enrollment, with an additional 2.5 million students joining schools.