Islamabad, 5 May, 2025: The transition of govt schools to private sector continues in Punjab, as more than 11,000 public schools have been privatized to improve educational standards across the province.
This was informed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz during a high-level review meeting at the School Education Department.
The session’s briefing was part of the learning enhancement strategies that sought to shift the focus towards public-private partnerships.
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It is being managed under the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) which also reported success with enrolling 1.1 million out-of-school children.
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While appreciating the achievement, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz instructed education officials to spend the recently provided Rs. 10 billion properly.
She ordered the School Management Councils to make requisite changes in the school facilities within 90 days.
She also gave directions for the immediate repair of 580 school structures classified as being in critical disrepair and to perform remedial work on 2,770 buildings that are identified as unsafe for occupation by learners and teachers.
Furthermore, every public school is expected to have additional classrooms within a year.
Courses for Languages and Nutrition Related Activities Updated
With an intention to enhance the academic culture and students’ mastery of language as a skill, the Chief Minister has put in place a target of teaching spoken English to `500,000 English learners.`
This English training will be done in phases and qualified language trainers will be engaged in teaching these English classes under the province’s skill development program.
Dealing with child under nutrition form of malnutrition was equally crucial in her speech and she directed to widen the scope of the school feeding program to cover more neglected tehsils and districts where the rates of hunger and stunting are high.
The new schools will also be referred to as District Tech-Ed Schools and will be the first of their kind in the province.
As part of long term reforms, the Chief Minister announced the Establishment of Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence for Boys and Girls in each district.
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There is a target to transform 1,750 Schools over five years of which 250 of them are expected to be enhanced in the upcoming fiscal year.
Additonally, the province will set up 300 Technical Education (Tech-Ed) Schools in 10 selected tehsils to focus on equipping students with skills needed in the changing employment landscape.
The ongoing handover of Government Schools to Private Sector management is a clear indication of how Punjab is shifting its focus towards Public Education and how it intends to transform efficiency and access into positive results for learners in the Region.
