Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has revived the passion of learning in low-income families and motivated them to send their children to PEF partner schools where education is totally free for them.

Due of its immaculate performance, the foundation has emerged as the most successful model of public-private partnership, which has also strengthened the low-cost partner schools in a number of ways.

PEF Managing Director Tariq Mahmood said this while giving briefing to Brig Muhammad Afzal of army education core at his office on Tuesday. Different programme directors were also present on the occasion.

Tariq Mahmood said that the PEF-sponsored educational models have been designed and launched keeping in view specific educational needs and socioeconomic milieu of the deserving students who need support to study. “These educational models are launched in collaboration with the private schools, and as a result of consistent support and encouragement of the foundation; the number of beneficiary students has risen to two million now.”

He said this situation shows that there was tremendous passion for learning in the children, and they take full benefit of every opportunity provided to them for education. He said that PEF has also introduced different initiatives for improving overall educational environment of partner schools, adding that capacity building of teachers is especially prioritised. “PEF is paying monthly grants ranging from Rs 550 to Rs 1,100 per student to the school partners, besides providing free textbooks to the students,” he said.

Mahmood informed that children with minor disabilities are also offered free education in the partner schools, which would help them to grow up confidently along with able-bodied students.

He said that PEF conducts tests every year to examine the quality of education of partner schools, adding that district level monitoring set up has also been established to keep a close watch on the partnering schools.

“Education is the best support that we are providing to the future generations to emerge as confident leaders. These students are our best assets and we are helping them to be able to steer the country to development. This will also help achieve the target of 100 percent enrollment by 2018,” he added. Brig Mohammad Afzal commended the good work of Punjab Education Foundation and termed it a successful model of education promotion.