Country can’t progress without promoting quality education:CM Punjab

Lahore:Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, has said no country or a society can achieve progress and prosperity without promoting quality education and strengthening its higher education system. He said, in order to rid the country of begging bowl, we will have to rely on our own resources and promote education for all. The Chief Minister said that the teaching community is highly respectable as they are performing yeoman’s service in imparting quality education to the future builders of the country. He said that positive impact in the education sector is being created through the merit based induction of more than 70 thousand highly capable teachers. He said with the active assistance and coordination of teachers, the existing education system would be further streamlined. Ordering formulation of a core committee in this regard, the Chief Minister directed the proposed committee ought to submit comprehensive recommendations to the government within two weeks after reviewing existing teachers’ training programme, promotion of research, betterment of education system and other related issues.

The Chief Minister was talking to a delegation of teachers, who called on him at his Minar-e-Pakistan tent office here today. Provincial Education Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja Rehman, Special Assistant, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Secretaries of higher education and schools, vice chancellors of different universities and other heads of educational institutions were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the teachers, the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif pointed out that education is the only way forward towards putting the country on the road to progress and prosperity and, keeping this reality in view, the Punjab government has taken revolutionary steps for promoting education and knowledge, in every nook and corner of the province. The Chief Minister said that the system of examination has been made transparent by eradicating the menace of booti mafia. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif stressed the need for strengthening the area of research and development, which was badly neglected in the past, and informed that concrete steps are being taken to strengthen research oriented process in the province. The Chief Minister said that education is the right of every child and Punjab government is vigorously working towards providing this essential right to every child in the province for which Daanish schools have been set up which are providing quality education to the brilliant children of the poor segment of the society. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that those who criticized establishment of Daanish schools must realize that had these brilliant students of less fortunate segment of the society were not provided quality education, their talent would have gone waste. The Chief Minister said that Punjab government is laying special emphasis on teachers training programme, however, he pointed out that teachers should also submit their suggestions in order to make teachers training programme even more effective and better. He further directed that computer labs in all colleges and their systematical use should be further strengthened. He informed that during the next year, all girls colleges would be provided transport facility and buses would be purchased with an amount of Rs. 1 billion in this regard.

Expressing his views on current energy crisis, the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif pointed out that long loadshedding of electricity is even more dangerous and deadly than terrorism itself, as due to lack of electricity, the people have lost their peace and good night’s sleep. He said that Punjab is the hub of agriculture, industrial and commercial activities and is contributing a large chunk into the GDP. However, he regretted, step motherly treatment is being metted out to Punjab by the federal government with regard to loadshedding which has badly affected Punjab’s economy and other sectors. He said Pakistan has a great potential of generating electricity for itself, but, unfortunately, due to corruption and wrong policies of the present rulers, the nations is facing more painful episode of loadshedding. He said due to hindrances created by federal government, Punjab government could not put into practice its energy related projects in the field of coal, hydle, sugarcane, solar and other sources. He said that examination system has also been badly affected due to loadshedding and the students are facing extreme difficulties in taking examinations. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that production and distribution of electricity is the responsibility of federal government, however, he has set up his tent office at Minar-e-Pakistan to express solidarity and unity on the problems of the masses. If we cannot provide relief to the masses in the energy crisis, at least we can share their pain, he added. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that corruption has shaken the foundations of the country and it is the need of the hour to put the dacoits of national wealth through strict accountability process and the looted money retrieved, without which national situation can not improve. He stressed that every individual will have to play an effective role in ridding the country of scourge of corruption and mismanagement.

Talking on the occasion visiting delegation of the teachers, appreciated the steps taken by Punjab government to further streamline the existing education system and to set up tent office at Minar-e-Pakistan to express solidarity with aggrieved stricken citizens. Vice chancellors of the universities apprised the Chief Minister of various problems being faced by their universities.