09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

RAWALPINDI, Jan 8: The district government has approved Rs150 million projects for schools in the city and hilly areas of the district under Education Sector Reforms Programme.

District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani said this while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a computer laboratory at Government Girls High School, Dhoke Khabba, here on Thursday.

The Nazim said the work on these projects would be initiated shortly. The money, he said, would be spent on providing missing facilities like lavatories, boundary walls, furniture, teaching aids in the government-run schools.

He reiterated the district government's commitment to improving the educational services in the district. "Education has always been our top priority and it would continue to be so," he said and added that the district government was making all out efforts to equip its schools with all facilities within the available resources.

Mr Kiani urged the teachers to take up their profession as service to the nation rather than seeing it as a source of livelihood and employment. He asked the students to refrain from carrying their books in shopping bags. "Use proper school bags and if you can't afford one use a bag made of cloth," he said.