Rana Sikandar Hayat, the minister of education for Punjab, declared that government schools had made major progress in raising the standard of instruction, as seen by their recent matriculation exam results, which saw them surpass private schools.
In a press conference with Provincial Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, Hayat emphasized these accomplishments, which came about in the first few months of his appointment and have led to a review of private sector charge structures.
- Cheating Prevention: During the matriculation examinations, 270 cheating centers were found and closed. For the intermediate tests, a zero-tolerance policy was implemented.
- Top Rankings: In five of the nine educational boards, government schools achieved the top rankings for the first time in five years.
- Student Awards: 250 million rupees will be given out as prizes to the top-performing students by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
- Danish School Success: In response to critics, the Danish School’s matriculation results were emphasized as evidence of its greatness.
- Reduction of Teacher Shortage: By carefully using surplus instructors, the 180,000-teacher shortage has been cut to 38,000, with intentions to close the gap in three months.
- Transparency in Transfers: 2,000 hidden posts in the School Information app have been revealed, and the e-transfer policy will be free from bribery and bias. The South Punjab Program is a three-month technical course designed to give pupils the skills they need to be self-sufficient. It has been introduced as a foundational learning program for 150,000 youngsters.
- University Reforms: Past anomalies within university syndicates are being audited, and permanent vice-chancellors are being selected through a merit-based selection procedure, with no suggestions allowed.
Minister Hayat reaffirmed the government’s resolve to turn public schools into high-caliber establishments, foster public trust, and draw students from the private sector to public education. He underlined that private schools need to follow the new guidelines set down for them.
According to a Punjab School Education Department (SED) spokesman, the findings show that public schools can provide higher-quality instruction and yield superior academic achievements when compared to private institutions, which is a noteworthy accomplishment for public education.
