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LAHORE, Oct 5: Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood announced on Thursday the lifting of ban on private students who want to appear in matriculation examination with science subjects.
The minister was speaking at a seminar on “Teachers’ role in materialising chief minister’s dream of Parah Likha Punjab” organised in connection with the World Teachers Day by the Muslim League Education Wing, All Pakistan Private Schools Owners Association (APPSOA) and a private college.
Speaking earlier, APPSOA president Mirza Kashif Ali demanded that the government should allow private students to appear in matriculation examinations with science subjects. He said that the ban was causing problems for some 400,000 students in the province.
Speaking at another seminar on “World Teachers Day jointly organised by the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) and Children’s Library Complex, the minister called upon the teachers to realise their national and moral obligations and fulfill their responsibilities with zeal. The government would then ultimately provide them maximum benefits, he added.
Mr Masood said no nation could attain the goal of universal literacy without giving due status to teachers. He said the federal government had allocated 2.7 per cent of the GDP for education and wanted to raise this funding to four per cent to meet international standards.
He said the present government had made the observation of “Salam Teachers Day” a regular feature. He claimed the standard of education being imparted at government schools was improving.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab special secretary (Schools) Zahid Saeed said that teachers should be self- confident.
Educationist Cecil Chaudhry appreciated the concern of the present government for education promotion.
NCHD: The National Commission for Human Development celebrated the Teacher’s Day by organising different events in collaboration with districts governments in different districts of Punjab.
The NCHD awarded certificates to the primary, secondary, college, university, adult literacy and technical and vocational teachers in recognition of their services.
The NCHD spokesman said the commission was working with the education department to improve primary education to achieve the targets set by the Education for All (EFA) declaration with cent per cent enrollment and reduced the drop-out rate to less than 20 per cent.
He said the commission had extended the universal primary education (UPE) coverage to 100 districts and literacy coverage to 114 districts of the country.
He said the commission had conducted door-to-door census of 3.1 million households and enrolled 1.75 million schoolchildren. He said the commission had reduced the drop-out rate to below 20 per cent as compared to the national average of 50 per cent.
He said the commission had established 11,442 community-based feeder primary schools and trained 37,000 teachers so far. He said the commission had mobilised 40,000 volunteers in 30,000 villages to support UPE.
The spokesman said the commission was also helping the government enhance adult literacy in the country, with special emphasis on female literacy. He said this programme offered three-month course to adults between the age group of 11-45 years of age. The commission had established 22,000 adult literacy centers and imparted education to 500,000 learners. It also trained some 24,000 teachers.
APPSWA: The All Pakistan Private Schools Welfare Association organised a seminar and voiced that the dignity and honour of teachers should be restored and government should introduce uniform steps for the teachers of public and private sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, association president Syed Zulqarnain said teachers must be given due respect in the society.
Association’s Punjab president Muzammil Iqbal Siddiqui said private schools’ teachers were being provided proper training facilities and they could compete in the market.
