LAHORE: Punjab Minister for School and Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said on Monday that a province-wide programme is accelerated to upgrade public schools, with plans to construct 25,000 new classrooms, establish over 9,000 IT laboratories and improve basic facilities in thousands of institutions.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Camps 2026 at Jinnah Auditorium Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan.
The minister said the government was undertaking what he described as one of the largest school infrastructure improvement initiatives in the province’s history.
He said development work was underway in 35,000 schools, including the construction of new classrooms and washrooms, while projects for 42,000 washrooms, modern IT laboratories, boundary walls and sports grounds were being implemented across Punjab.
The minister said school infrastructure development was being complemented by reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes. Under the FLN initiative, 6,000 camps would be established across Punjab during summer vacation to help academically weak students strengthen their literacy and numeracy skills.
Later during a visit to Government Aam Khas High School in Multan, Mr Hayat laid the foundation stone of new classrooms and reviewed ongoing development schemes.
He also announced the launch of a “Library on Wheels” project, a scooty programme for female students and women teachers, and new initiatives to promote technical and vocational education.
SED Secretary Mudassar Riaz Malik said the ongoing works formed part of the Chief Minister’s School Infrastructure Package, which aimed to improve educational facilities and raise teaching standards in public schools.
He said more than 14 million students were enrolled in over 60,000 schools across Punjab, while 128 institutions had already been upgraded and designated as Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence.
The event also featured a policy dialogue on educational reforms and the School-Based Assessment system.
Chief Executive Officer of PECTAA Muhammad Musa Ali Bokhari was awarded a certificate of appreciation for overseeing the successful conduct of the Grade VIII Annual Assessment 2025-26.
Laptops and certificates were distributed among top-performing Grade VIII students, while outstanding teachers were also honoured for their services.
Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026