Daily Times

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that progress can be seen across Punjab where unprecedented development work has been undertaken in health and education sectors.

He said there was no example of completion of development projects at such speed even across the border in India. “Punjab started development in the right direction and public sector institutions have been developed on scientific lines for ensuring national development and prosperity.”

He expressed these views while addressing a special meeting from London through a video link to monitor progress in health and education sector projects under the Punjab Reforms Roadmap.

The CM said that tremendous work has been done in health and education sectors in Punjab. “It is not a fictional story. The progress is conspicuous everywhere,” he added.

He said that benefits of budgetary allocations are needed to be delivered to the masses to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. “I shall continue to serve the people as long as I am allowed by Allah Almighty to do it.”

The meeting reviewed different steps taken for betterment in education sector. It was told that sufficient results have been achieved due to innovative reforms introduced in the education sector for improving the quality of education, provision of necessary facilities and recruitment and training of teachers.

As many as 1.6 million new students have been enrolled in public sector schools since 2012 and 122 percent increase has been made in educational budget during the last eight years. As many as 350,000 needy students have been given PEEF scholarships, while 1.85 million students have been given free education through the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF). The meeting was informed that 11,000 classrooms have been constructed and 8,000 IT labs set up in middle and high schools.

Meanwhile, 2,805 schools have been upgraded while more than 7,400 derelict buildings have been restored. Similarly, educational curriculum has been updated for improving the quality of education. The meeting noted that improvements have been introduced in Schools’ Education Department through proper monitoring of schools, quality textbooks, teachers’ guides and their trainings.

Students have been given more than 50 million textbooks, while a 100,000 teachers have been imparted different trainings. In addition to this, 87 percent students passed the primary and middle classes examination under Punjab Examination Commission. During the last one year, more than 80,000 children have taken admissions in public sector schools and at least four teachers are present in every school in more than 95 percent educational institutions.

DFID Delivery Associate managing partner Michael Barber, DFID head of mission Joana Reid, UNICEF chief of health Kennedy Ongwae, Chief Field Office Punjab Douglas Higgins, World Bank representative Dr. Tayyab Masood, WHO representative Jamshed Ahmad, Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmad and Khawaja Imran Nazir, the chief secretary, and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Michael Barber said that he had visited quite a number of countries, but there was no country like Pakistan nor were there such a wonderful people like Pakistanis. He said that the visionary leadership of Shehbaz Sharif impressed him a lot because the latter was working round the clock to provide best services to the people. He maintained that people of Punjab were hardworking, loyal, honest, graceful, courageous and ever-ready to achieve their life-goals. He said that great story of Punjab would always impress him.

“This is just the start of development journey of Punjab and is not the end.” While addressing the Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Michael Barber said that Chief Minister’s attention on prioritising health and education sectors had always surprised him.

He said that according to the third party analysis, facts and figures of the development of education, health and other sectors were enviable. He said that Punjab had gained lead by taking so many innovative measures. He said many people thought that these targets could not be achieved but government of Punjab has proved its critics wrong. He said that enrolling the children of workers of brick kilns to schools was a commendable step of the chief minister.

Published in Daily Times, March 24^th  2018.