RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Punjab government has established 350 new schools where it enrolled more than 17,000 children during its first 100 days, claimed Punjab Minister for Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Raja Rashid Hafeez on Monday.

Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here, Mr Hafeez claimed that the public will witness the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government’s performance through practical means, and not just slogans.

He said basic education was the right of every child, but the previous governments did not focus on it. The current government was taking practical steps to train teachers, increase their salaries and enhance access to school for each child, he added.

He further said that important decisions will be taken for improvement of non-formal basic education during the next fiscal year and the chief minister had assured that more funds would be provided for the purpose. He said he had taken strict notice of the issue of non-payment of salaries of teachers of non-formal schools for five months, adding that the salaries would be released in a few days.

The minister visited the non-formal schools in district jail, Muddarbari, Hussainabad and Niazi Colony, and ordered the chief of the district education authority and district officer (literacy) to improve the standards of non-formal schools.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2019