1,277 more schools to get IT labs
By: Sajid Zia
LAHORE: Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman told the Punjab Assembly (PA) has said computer laboratories are being set up in another 1,277 schools after their upgrade while 4,286 labs have already been established across the province.
He was speaking during the question hour on the third day of the 39th PA session, which started with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair. The sitting witnessed a rare occasion when all 35 questions on education were taken up, though 20 of them could not be debated due to the absence of questioners.
The education minister said the Punjab government was pursuing the policy of equipping the schools with computer labs and making computer education mandatory from class sixth. About 2.5 million students are benefiting from the computer education, he added.
To PPP’s Sajida Mir supplementary question, he denied the DCOs were recruiting educators of their own choices and said 70,000 educators have been recruited on merit.
“About 32,000 science teachers and 37,000 educators have been appointed without entertaining any favour.” He said for educators, minimum academic qualification had been fixed graduation. Seventy per cent are graduates, and the rest include post graduates and even PhDs. The minister said the department had also received applications from the MPhils and it deems that their induction will better education besides serving well the purpose of imparting quality education to the youth.
To a question, the minister admitted that the department has right to seal the schools which do not get their registration in time. However, he clarified that the tradition of closing down that schools is not followed by the department in the interest of education of the kids. He said before adopting such measures, the department gave three-month dead line to the school owners.
Sheikh Allauddin of unification bloc alleged that the minister had attended of a school function in Johar Town which was built without following legal requirements. A treasury member endorsed the charge and offered to resign if the same was false. The minister in reply corrected the members that the function was held in Alhamra and Johar Town and he attended the same to give away prizes to the bright students. He said the government did not promote the schools which had been built illegally.
” 
” 
” 
” 
