One lakh students will get laptops during current fiscal year:Mujtaba Shuja

Lahore: Provincial Minister  Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has commended the vision of Shahbaz Sharif for launching of new phase of free distribution scheme of laptops among matriculate students and now matric students scoring 78 percent and above marks will also be benefited from this scheme. He told that total one lakh students purely on merit will get laptops during current fiscal year in all categories. He said that government has given special attention for the improvement of school education during last 6 years and one lakh 40 thousand school teachers had been recruited purely on merit in the province. He told that He said that Rs. 274 billion will be spent on education sector during the current fiscal year which is 26.25 percent of the total budget of the province.

He expressed these views at the launching/distribution ceremony of laptops to matriculate students at Lahore Board. The Minister distributed laptops among 100 students of the Lahore Board. A contingent of Punjab police presented guard of honour to the laptop winning students. Secretary Higher Education Muhammad Abdullah Sumbal, Chairman Board Nasrullah Virk and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that Punjab government distributed solar lamps among the 2 lakh students during last tenure with a cost of Rs. 2.5 billion under Ujala Programme so that load shedding could not disrupt their study. He said that during current fiscal year laptops and solar lamps are being distributed among the students on merit under a transparent system.

Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that financial grant is being provided for up-gradation of school education especially to the institutions of women, whereas, new women universities are also being established in Bahawalpur, Multan, Sialkot and Faisalabad, whereas three new women universities at Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal and Okara will be established during current fiscal year, for enhancing ratio of higher education among women.  He said that IT labs had been set up in more than 5000 high schools and 515 middle schools during last five years. He said that scholarships of 12 billion rupees are being provided to more than 50 thousand students within the country and abroad from Endowment fund. He said that terrorism and unemployment can be wiped out through promotion of standardized education and provision of jobs to the youth. He said that DFID has granted in aid to the tune of Rs.351 million to construct 15000 additional class rooms, one additional class room for each public sector school having deficient facilities. The government will ensure the 100 percent admission of children in schools till 2016, he concluded.