TOBA TEK SINGH: The early childhood education (ECE) programme, piloted in Toba Tek Singh’s 300 government primary schools in 2015, was extended on Friday to 300 more schools at a function.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad and Unicef chief field officer Douglas G Higgins were also present.

Mr Ahmad said at a gathering at the Government Women’s Degree College auditorium that in the first phase, 300 ECE rooms were established in primary schools of the district and it was the pride of the district that Unicef had now again selected Toba Tek Singh for ECE rooms in 300 more schools. He said 8,000 more schools had also been included in the project in other districts. It was the vision of the chief minister to minimise dropouts in primary classes.

Punjab Directorate of Staff Development director Saeed Ramzan said under the ECE programme an interactive learning environment had been created for toddlers as early childhood was the most critical period in a child’s education. It played an important role in their mental and physical development. He said that such classrooms had been made attractive through paintings with themes for joyful learning while teachers, caregivers and headteachers had been given special training for the purpose.

Unicef chief field officer Douglas G Higgins said Unicef would continue its support for the ECE project to eliminate dropouts.The minister also announced recruiting 46,000 more teachers in Punjab in the next financial year. He said every child aged between five- to nine-year old, including of kiln workers, would be admitted to schools by 2018.

He said the distribution of laptop schemes by the Punjab government was so much successful that not only federal and Balochistan governments adopted the same programme but three provinces in India also followed it.

He said that in the upcoming fiscal year, funds had been allocated for the construction of 36,000 classrooms in the schools, however he had requested the chief minister to grant more classrooms for Toba Tek Singh schools.

He told reporters even though teachers in Punjab were already getting salaries more than other provinces, they would be given an attractive pay package in the upcoming budget.

About the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the backdrop of the Panama Leaks inquiry, he said Mr Sharif had been elected prime minister by the people and only the people had the right to re-elect anyone in the 2018 elections.

SIT-OUT: Scores of brick kiln workers staged a sit-out on Friday outside the district labour offices complex to press the government for the acceptance of their demands.

Addressing the protesters, Bhatta Mazdoor Union district general secretary Muhammad Shabbir, Ashfaq Sajid, Sajida Perveen, Muhammad Ashfaq and Ashiq Maseeh stated even though the Punjab government had notified Rs962 per 1,000 bricks 11 months ago, the district administration had completely failed to implement it.

They demanded a 50 percent raise in their wages in the next annual budget, allotment of state land for their houses, their registration with the Social Security Department and the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution and the provision of free uniform, books, bags, shoes and stationery to their children.

They announced that their sit-in would continue till the acceptance of their demands.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016