PEF is working to promote school education: Dr. Aneela Salman

Lahore: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) is expeditiously working to promote school education through its educational models which are functioning in tandem with the private sector. With its efficient contribution in education roadmap program and success in achieving goals, the Punjab Education Foundation has emerged as the major partner of Punjab’s education landscape.

Managing Director Punjab Education Foundation, Dr. Aneela Salman stated this while presiding over a steering committee meeting at PEF head office on Wednesday. Besides PEF-DMDs and Program heads, members of the McKenzie Roadmap Team were also present on the occasion.

At the outset, the PEF MD briefed the participants about the pace of development of ongoing expansion phase of different programs and added that expansion of PEF programs for the current academic year 2013-14 is on track. She disclosed that as a result of this expansion, total number of students will rise to1.5 million in PEF managed schools from the start of upcoming academic year in April.

The meeting was told that 64 thousand new students have been enrolled in schools partnering under Foundation Assisted School (FAS) while 23 thousand new vouchers have been verified, as well. These vouchers will be doled out to most deserving students under Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) in different districts.

The meeting also reviewed the progress on pilot project of online attendance system in EVS partner schools commenced from Lahore. Director (EVS) Ms. Maleeha Batool told that this pilot project will be extended in the districts of Attock, Chakwal, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh where two schools from each of the north and south zones of the province will be selected for launching mobile phone based attendance system which is designed in collaboration with the PITB. This pilot project is part of PEF policy of introducing and benefiting from the latest information technology in its educational interventions so that the partner school students could be given quality education.

The progress on New School Program’s current expansion was also reviewed. It was divulged that PEF teams have completed their field inspections in the districts of Bahawalnagar, Vehari and Lodhran to select new schools as NSP partners. It was also decided to further strengthen the training mechanism of EVS and NSP partner schools. More than 100 cluster based and PIVOT trainings for EVS & FAS partners besides 25 camp based trainings for NSP & FAS partners will be conducted to further improve their academic standards.

The meeting dwelled upon the project of launching evening classes for the child laborers under EVS program so that these children could be rehabilitated through this useful educational model. These students will be educated though a well-designed literacy course.