Moalims

BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has launched a mobile school project for residents of Cholistan.

The project has been launched in collaboration with the Cholistan Development Authority.

Ten mobile schools under the project will start working from January 2016.

The project aims to teach 10,000 nomad children.

Punjab Education Foundation Chairman Qamarul Islam Raja addressed a ceremony in this regard at Kotanwain Wali in Cholistan.

State Minister for Education Balighur Rehman and Cholistan Development Authority Managing Director Naeem Iqbal Syed were also present.

The PEF chairman said monthly salaries, motorbikes and fuel would be provided to teachers hired for the project.

“These teachers will give education to children of nomads. Free textbooks will be provided to students,” he said.

The PEF chairman said the project was the first of its kind.

“The PEF is already providing free education to more than 6,000 students through a network of 75 partner schools in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan Districts,” he said.

He said that PEF was the largest free education programme in the province which had promoted education at the grassroots through private partners.

“Our programmes are cost-effective and help strengthen the private sector through useful interventions,” he added.

He said the PEF had been tasked with educating 2.8 million children by 2018.

He said the Punjab government was taking steps to ensure 100 percent enrolment under its three-year Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab programme.

State Minister Balighur Rehman, in his address, lauded the role of PEF. The CDA managing director also spoke on the occasion.

He said the PEF had achieved significant success in south Punjab in the education sector.

“It has provided education opportunities for scores of children and will continue to do so through various programmes,” he said. “We must meet our education targets.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2015.