Moalims

LAHORE - Dozens of teachers of Punjab University Tuesday protested against Orange Line Metro on Canal Road.
They blocked road for a brief period. The protest rally was taken out by protestors from Al Raazi Hall to Gate No 2 after general body meeting.
Talking to media after blocking the road, the faculty members said that the teachers had taken out the rally to remind the government of its promise that it would not use PU Town 1 land for constructing Orange Line Metro Project offices.
The teachers said that they would stage demo outside Chinese Consulate if their demands were not met as promised by the government. They said that teachers were demanding their rights in a respectable way and the government must consider it.
Earlier, in the general body meeting, the teachers decided if their houses were demolished in Town 1, the teachers would boycott the classes and stage demo outside Chief Minister’s house.
ORAL HISTORY EVENT: On the direction of Vice Chancellor Punjab University Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, PU has started compiling oral history of the university and in this connection; the 3rd ceremony will be held on today at 11am at Al Raazi Hall. On this occasion Punjab University Department of Botany Prof (r) Razi Abbas Shamsi will address the ceremony and will share his memories.
PEF launches phase 15 expansion: Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has formally launched the expansion phase 15 of its public private partnership based Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) in16 selected districts of the province.
During this expansion, a target of educating one lakh and 25 thousand needy students of low income families in these districts through newly partnered 470 schools is set.
Punjab Education Foundation Chairman Engineer Qamarul Islam Raja said this while addressing the partnership agreements signing ceremony at Children’s Library Complex on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by newly selected school partners from Faisalabad, Kasur, Okara and Sheikhupura districts.
Raja said that vouchers based education is a unique idea to educate the children of low income families near to their homes. A voucher is issued to the needy student to study free of cost in PEF partner school of choice.
PEF provides books and monthly fee to the partner schools. This scheme is efficiently serving to the impecunious strata in all the 36 districts of the province. In order to meet the rising needs of such communities, expansion phase is launched so that no one is left unattended, he added. PEF is targeting to enroll a total of 2.8 million needy students in its partner schools by 2018. This is part of ‘Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab’ program of the Punjab government, he told.
He said that the focus of this expansion phase is to provide free quality education in education–deficient areas of the province. This will especially benefit the girls living in remote and far-flung areas. He maintained that education is a strong catalyzing force which helps in alleviating poverty and joblessness, while it prepares the budding minds as confident and forward looking youth to play their due role in national development. Therefore, the Foundation has especially ensured that conducive atmosphere is provided to the students, because we believe that our students are ‘leaders of tomorrow.’ He further said that transparency and merit are the conspicuous hallmarks of this Foundation. Our performance and good work is recognized both nationally as well as internationally, he added. Earlier, Director (EVS) Samina Nawaz welcomed the Chairman in her address of welcome.
Meanwhile, partnership agreements were signed with school owners from Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Multan districts at a ceremony held at PEF regional office Multan today. PEF Addl. Director (south) Mazhar Abbas chaired the ceremony.
PEF will sign partnership agreements with school owners from Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Jhang, Khushab and Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday.

Published in The Nation newspaper on 13-Jan-2016