LAHORE :Punjab School Education Minister Dr Murad Raas has said that his ministry took 16 initiatives in 16 months of the government to introduce reforms in education sector.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he started mentioning these initiatives with the e-transfer facility for schoolteachers, saying the initiative not just greatly facilitated the teaching staff but also helped curb corruption amounting to Rs 2 billion to Rs 3 billion within the School Education Department in the name of transfers/postings.

Dr Murad Raas said Insaaf Afternoon programme was launched in 500 primary schools and added the initiative would be expanded with 1,000 more schools from the next academic session. He said the department abolished the grade-5 examination as part of assessment-related reforms. The department is working to improve the assessment mechanism. He added the government was also revamping the model of Daanish schools and unlike the past day-boarders would also be offered admissions.

The minister also talked about Insaaf Primary School and Mobile School programmes to bring the out-of-school-children back to scho0ol and also mentioned licensing of education professionals, saying the same was approved by the provincial cabinet and would be enacted after legislation. Similarly, he said, the government changed medium of instruction from English to Urdu from Class-1 to Class 5 and added English would be taught as a subject from the academic session starting from March 2020. Dr Murad Raas also talked about the School Education Policy, textbook revision, rationalisation of teachers, clean and green campaign in schools, construction of new classrooms, HRMIS, Punjab sports strategy and establishment of 110 model schools in the next academic session.

student councils: Participants in a consultative dialogue on “effective engagements of students on the university campuses” held at Government College University (GCU) here Friday stressed the need for establishing student councils and societies in all educational institutions for producing students with well-rounded personalities and leadership skills.

Eminent academicians from leading public and private sector universities participated in the dialogue.

In his opening remarks, GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi said heads of all educational institutions had a responsibility to provide conducive and peaceful environment to their students and faculty. He said GCU had more than century old history of student societies led by students as office-bearers, and these societies acted as nurseries to inculcate in the students character-building, team spirit and leadership skills. Prof Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin, former chairperson of Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), said clashes were erupted when universities’ administrations didn’t adhere to the issues and complaints of students. He believed that students should be given leadership role in organising co-curricular activities on their campuses.

Dr Rauf-i-Azam, former VC of University of Education, raised concerns about the excessive and irresponsible use of social media by youths. He said activities on campuses should be designed to make students responsible citizens and empathetic human beings.

Abbottabad University of Science & Technology VC Prof Dr Mujaddad-ur-Rehman and Women University Multan Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Uzma Quraishi highlighted the increasing depression in youths, saying that cultural, co-curricular activities and sports were also crucial for mental health of students.

Mian Imran Masood, former Punjab Education Minister, said no specific group should be allowed to distort the peaceful environment of universities which was mandatory for healthy debate, academics and research. Gomal University Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Sarwar and Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Suleman Tahir also demanded the government provide funding especially to the newly-built colleges and universities for student activities.