ISLAMABAD: Primary school students in Islamabad will get free lunches under the Prime minister’s school reform initiative, and for this purpose, the World Food Program (WFP) will be collaborating with the government.

Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Joint Secretary Ayesha Farooq confirmed that the project was being considered.

“Since the project is in its initial stages, we can’t give out much information about it yet,” she said.

Sources at CADD said milk and boiled eggs were being considered as options, if not, then other food items will be provided free of cost.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Minster for CADD Tariq Chaudhry and other CADD officials attended a consultative meeting with Development Partners International (DPI) at the ministry.

The CADD minister told the meeting that the prime minister’s Education Transformation Plan for Islamabad is a model for the whole country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

The CADD minister said there was a need for introducing new ideas and models for the development of educational infrastructure. He also talked about the Montessori’s to be opened in public sector schools and said this will be done in phases.

“In the first phase, Montessori’s will be introduced in five schools and then in others in later phases,” he said.

The Director General of Federal Directorate of Education and the Director General of Special Education also briefed the meeting about the education system in the Islamabad Capital Territory, and identified areas where DPI can contribute.

DPI experts gave their advice for the reforms and representatives from USAID, DFID, JICA, WFP, Canadian Program Cooperation and Pakistan and others also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016