BAHAWALPUR, Oct 9: To elicit public opinion before formulating a new education policy in Punjab, the education department on Thursday organized a seminar, first of the series, at the local Quaid-i-Azam Medical College.

This process of consultancy would take about three months, according to Punjab Education Secretary Nadeem Ashraf.A large number of educationists, politicians and intellectuals in their papers put forward their suggestions, proposals and highlighted the problems of the teaching community. They included MPAs Mumtaz Ahmed Jajja, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, DCO Muhammed Mushtaq Ahmed and former principal, Government Technical High School, Bahawalpur, Akhtar Hussain Zaidi.

Punjab Minister for Special Education Malik Muhammed Iqbal Channar, who presided over the seminar, said that the chief minister wanted to bring revolutionary changes to the education system, for which the opinion of people would be given weight.

At the conclusion of the seminar, the provincial secretary told Dawn that it would take two to three months to compile recommendations to be included in the new policy. He added after its presentation to the Punjab chief minister, the federal government would be consulted on the issue.

The second seminar of this nature will be held in Multan on Friday.