LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to introduce a dress code for schoolteachers and distance learning in schools for the first time along with the launch of audio-visual teaching methods.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz presided over a meeting on school education here on Thursday and decided to launch the Suthra Punjab programme in schools for cleanliness.

The meeting decided to install CCTV cameras in schools, while a School Improvement Card would be introduced to facilitate the outsourcing process. Approval was also granted for Phase IV of outsourcing under the Punjab Public School Reorganisation Programme.

The meeting was informed that by next month, 140 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence would become functional. The meeting was told that spoken English classes were currently being conducted in 344 schools, while the chief minister had set a target of launching spoken classes for 500,000 students. “The school meal programme is benefiting 1.137 million students in 13 districts. Following the outsourcing of government schools, enrollment has recorded an increase of 800 percent, with a 114pc rise after the Phase I and a further 24pc increase after the Phase II. Teachers’ strength has also increased by 40pc in Phase I and 46pc in Phase II.”

Some 866 new classrooms were built in 540 schools after outsourcing, while construction and repair work was carried out in thousands of classrooms, the meeting was told. More than 2.7 million square feet of boundary walls were constructed or repaired, 5,067 toilets were built or renovated, and paint work was completed in 8,911 schools.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that her government would ensure that every child received quality education in public schools and move forward in life with confidence. She said the standard of government schools would be improved to such an extent that parents would prefer enrolling their children there, stressing that improving the condition of every public school in Punjab was her responsibility.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026