SAHIWAL, Jan 4: The new education policy will focus on universal primary enrolment at village level, training of primary teachers, elimination of dropouts at primary and middle level and uniformity and upgradation of primary syllabus, a state minister said here on Sunday.

The federal government is working on the draft education policy, State Minister for Education Ghulam Farid Kathia said at the 3rd convocation of CAST College. He said the government had decided to open up the policy draft for new inputs before introducing the new education police.

He said the government was committed to ensuring 100 per cent enrollment in village schools. “Focus will be on village because it is the smallest unit where the state fails to control dropouts at primary and secondary level.”

The minister said the government was considering the role of village elders in enrollment. He stressed the need for the training of primary teachers and suggested that each graduate must teach in a primary school for six months before getting a degree. He said there was no comparison between private and public schools when it comes to the quality of education, but the poor could not afford private education. The only solution was to take state-run schools to the level of private schools, the minister added.

As many as 110 students were awarded graduation and master’s degrees at the convocation.

MONEY ORDERS: At least 4,911 money orders have not been distributed to the families benefitting from the Food Stamp Scheme (FSS) because of incomplete or wrong addresses.

The problem is being solved urgently, Chairman of Task Force on FSS Samiullah Chaudhry said at a meeting on Saturday. The meeting at the office of the district coordination officer reviewed the chief minister’s two schemes: Sasti Roti Scheme and Food Stamp Scheme.