RAWALPINDI, Aug 19: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the government is making all-out efforts to provide maximum resources for improving the literacy rate.

He said that “fast-track” measures would be adopted to promote education and develop other sectors in backward areas of the province. The government will soon announce its priorities for mitigating economic difficulties of teachers, he added.

Mr Shahbaz expressed these views while talking to students and media persons after attended a ceremony titled ‘Guard of honour’ held for positions holders in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations 2008 at the Punjab House in Islamabad.

Fifty-two out of a total of 53 students attended the ceremony.

The students earlier were also provided with an opportunity of 2-3 days visit to Murree and stay at the Punjab House there as a state guest on the special instructions of the provincial chief minister.

Office-bearers of different educational boards of Punjab, including Secretary Education Board Lahore, Chairman Education Board Rawalpindi Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Baig, DG Protocol Punjab Asjad Tahir Ghani, were also present on the occasion.

Mr Sharif said the government was taking steps for promoting quality education by paying equal attention to urban and rural areas of the province, adding that for this purpose a model school each for boys and girls was being established in all tehsils of the Punjab. Computers and teachers are being arranged for starting computer education in all schools of the province.

He said free transport would be provided to students of schools in the low-income areas of big cities.

Replying to the demand of students regarding an end to the system of entry test for admission to professional colleges, the chief minister said that the system was introduced in the last tenure of the PML-N government to discourage Booti Mafia. He said if cheating in examinations had been eliminated, the issue of entry test would soon be reviewed.

He said the government would take every step for enhancing literacy rate and improving education standards. He said it was the responsibility of the government to fulfill economic needs of the teachers.

The chief minister said the government had decided to provide incentives like provision of 20 per cent allowance to those teachers who worked hard and showed good results.