PEF is the future of education: Dr. Aneela Salman

Lahore: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) is the most cost-effective, efficient and result- oriented model of providing free school education to more than 1.7 million needy students across the province. It is sanguine that 45 percent of the total beneficiaries are girls who are changing their lives through education as it is the best catalyst of social change in our society.

Managing Director, Punjab Education Foundation, Dr. Aneela Salman stated this while giving briefing to a seven member delegation of Balochistan Education Department led by Additional Secretary Muzammil Hassan at PEF head office on Thursday. On the occasion, DMD (F) Salman Anwar Malik and program heads were also present.

While briefing the delegation, the MD told that her foundation is spending an average monthly cost of Rs.511 on each partnering student which is quite cheaper. PEF has also ensured provision of quality education to the students through its annually held Quality Assurance Tests (QATs) which is helping in maintaining required academic quality standards. Similarly, many other useful interventions, including introduction of computerized data collection of 1.7 million students, efficient online payment system, GIS mapping of partner schools and latest digital monitoring system of partner schools have wholly helped to maintain transparency and effectiveness of the system. Due to it, more and more private schools are keen to enter into partnership with this foundation as PEF is the future of education in Punjab, she added.

While talking about frequent programs expansions to meet the educational needs of deserving students, she told that vouchers are issued to more than 2 lakh and 82 thousand deserving students in different districts of the province. Similarly, more than 93 thousand other students are provided free schooling opportunities through public private partnership based ‘New School Program’ in the Punjab. Meanwhile, agreements have also been signed with two different non-governmental organizations to provide free schooling opportunities to a total of 32 thousand out of school kids in Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan. For this purpose, these organizations will set up 810 schools in these districts. She expressed the satisfaction that PEF has robust presence in different education-wise backward hinterlands and city-slums so that the needy kids could access this beneficial facility without any burden. 75 percent of our partner schools are situated in rural backward areas where they are most needed. We have also partnered with Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) to sponsor the education of five thousand students in Cholistan area.

On the occasion, Balochistan delegation appreciated the PEF sponsored interventions and vowed to benefit from it in future policy planning.