Entry test for admission in medical colleges and engineering universities will continue

Lahore: Provincial Education Department has evolved a mechanism of effective implementation on ten percent quota allocated for providing free educational facilities to the talented disadvantaged children in all private schools of good repute in the province under section 13B of the Punjab Free & Compulsory Ordinance 2014 which will benefit more than two lakh poor children.

Recommendations in this regard have been prepared in a meeting presided over by Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan today which will be implemented after final approval of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. According to the recommendations of Punjab Education Department, ten percent quota for admission of deserving children from nursery to 10^th class will be ensured.

The children desirous of getting admission in private schools whose parents total income is less than Rs. 25 thousand will deposit admission form for free education under ten percent quota in private schools after verification of income certificate from employer or concerned Tehsildar. Those children will be provided admission under this quota as fulfill the merit according to the enforced entry test in the school for determining the learning level. Private educational institutions will provide admission to the children of deserving families registered under Benazir Income Support Programme, children of government employees who died during service, children of government employees of fourth class and orphan children of their areas on priority basis and remaining seats of ten percent quota will be given to the children of low income family on merit.

There will be 50% quota each for boys & girls in private schools providing co-education under ten percent quota. Screening procedure and quality assurance test of the disadvantaged children will be conducted annually to know about the learning outcome of the students. School administration will inform regularly to the EDO Education of concerned district through management information system about all record.

Addressing the meeting, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said that practical shape will be given to the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif so that no talented child or youth could be deprived of education as his parents are not able to bear educational expenses. The Minister constituted a special committee for further expanding educational scholarships for the talented but needy male and female students and also announced a Qarza Hasna scheme for higher education.

Scholarship committee headed by Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan will consist of Secretary Schools Education, Secretary Higher Education, Secretary Youth Affairs, Vice Chairman PEEF Dr. Amjad Saqib, Prof. of LUMS Ali Cheema, Chairman Punjab Examination Commission Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, MD Punjab Education Foundation Dr. Aneela Suleman, Director General LDA Ahad Khan Cheema, Members Punjab Assembly Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Syed Abdul Aleem and Dr. Aalia Aftab.

The meeting decided that the process of entry test for admission in medical colleges and engineering universities will continue in next academic session and Chief Minister Punjab will take final decision after further consultation at public forums about merits and demerits of entry test.