LAHORE, Nov 30: The Punjab Education Foundation is contemplating a comprehensive strategy to promote science education in private schools of less-developed areas. A pilot project for the provision of science infrastructure in low-cost private schools has almost been completed in Layyah, according to PEF chairman Shahid Hafeez Kardar who was chairing a meeting held to review the progress of various educational schemes of the foundation here on Friday.

He told the meeting that the foundation’s Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) for private schools of less privileged areas had exercised deep impact on the promotion of quality education through public-private partnership. He said this achievement had also been acknowledged by World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick during a meeting with him.

He said 300,000 students from less affluent households were getting quality education in 700 private educational institutions in collaboration with the PEF. The objective of ensuring quality education was being achieved through public-private partnership, he said, stressing the need to encourage and support the private sector through technical and financial assistance.

The foundation, Mr Kardar said, had also designed voucher scheme in collaboration with the Columbia University, New York, for the slums and under-developed areas of Punjab. He said a pilot project had been started in the urban slums and areas of Sukh Nahar in Lahore.

Through this initiative, he said, vouchers had been delivered to all households in the less developed areas for the children aged between 5 and 13 years. He said voucher was redeemable against payment of fees in educational institutions.

“In view of the success of this programme, it has been decided to expand the scheme all over Punjab,” he said.