ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the urgent implementation of reforms in infrastructure, curriculum, teachers’ training and other areas in all government schools in Islamabad, announcing the activation of a free lunch programme.
Chairing a high-level meeting on reforms in Islamabad’s government schools, the prime minister directed Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal to ensure that the identified issues were addressed within the stipulated timeframe.
The prime minister directed the authorities to mobilise all available resources to address infrastructure-related problems on an emergency basis, stressing that providing students with a safe learning environment was the government’s responsibility.
He also directed the activation of a free lunch programme in government schools to ensure proper nutrition for students.
Emphasising improvements in teaching and learning facilities, the prime minister ordered the installation of smart boards in all government schools at the earliest. He also directed the formulation of a strategy to transform the Federal Directorate of Education into an effective and efficient institution.
The prime minister stressed that teachers in government schools should focus exclusively on teaching and educational activities and should not be assigned other tasks. He further directed that recruitment of teachers be carried out strictly on merit.
To improve students’ access to education, the prime minister called for expanding the government school bus service. He also directed the outsourcing of bus services for student transportation, along with third-party validation.
The prime minister instructed the authorities to promote solarisation in government schools and ensure that ramps were installed in all institutions to facilitate students with physical disabilities. He also called for the provision of quality medical facilities in government schools.
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The meeting was informed that most government schools in Islamabad had basic facilities, including internet connectivity, clean drinking water and computer laboratories. However, infrastructure-related issues had been identified in some of the schools covered by the survey.
Officials informed the meeting that 278 government buses were operating across Islamabad to facilitate the transportation of students attending government schools.
