Latest news with #PEEF
Business Recorder
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PITB, PEEF sign contract to develop Scholarship Management System
LAHORE: The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) have signed a contract to develop a Scholarship Management System. According to the contract, the PITB will design the system using modern, secure, and scalable technologies tailored to meet PEEF's requirements and operational specifications, said PITB on Wednesday. The system will be designed to digitise the complete lifecycle of the PEFF scholarship programme, ensuring faster, more transparent, and efficient delivery of financial aid to deserving students. The contract signing ceremony was chaired by PITB Director General IT Solutions Waqar Naeem Qureshi and PEEF CEO Muzaffar ul Haq Hashmi. The contract was signed by PITB Director Development and Procurement Ataur Rehman, and PEEF CEO Muzaffar ul Haq Hashmi. PITB Joint Director Sajjad Qureshi and PEEF Acting Manager MIS Amina Mehmood were also present. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Province-wide govt school transport promised
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced plans to launch a van service for government schools and an 'on-wheel Montessori schools' project across the province. Presiding over a meeting of the school education department on Wednesday, the chief minister directed the officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive plan for the province's first regular school transport service aimed at facilitating access to education for children in remote areas. It was decided that school and teacher of the month awards would be introduced, based on discipline, classroom performance, laboratory standards and the overall quality of education. Giving a briefing on departmental initiatives, Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said a 99 per cent increase in student enrolment and 114% in teaching staff had been achieved through the school outsourcing model. He said over 60,000 employment opportunities had been created for educated youth as part of the initiative. The minister said Punjab now holds the record for the largest public-private partnership in education globally, with 1.3 million additional students enrolled through outsourcing within 16 months. Outsourcing of another 10,500 schools is planned in the next year. The first phase saw 40,000 applications for 5,700 government schools. He said significant infrastructure improvements had been made in outsourced schools, including the construction of 413 classrooms, renovation of over 5,000 and repair of 2,887 roofs. Over 254,000 square metres of boundary walls have been constructed and more than 50 schools converted to solar energy. Facilities such as 1,643 water tanks and 5,830 coolers, and 9,303 new blackboards have also been provided. The participants of the meeting were informed that in select districts, including Faisalabad, children in outsourced schools were receiving mid-day meals under a self-help model. Additionally, 70,977 furniture sets have been delivered to improve the classrooms. CM Maryam Nawaz also launched the Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) Tech Schools as a pilot project and issued directives that similar institutions be set up in rural areas. Am English Conversation Programme, aligned with IELTS Standard-4, is under way to benefit 300,000 students within six months. So far, 10,000 classrooms for early childhood education have been prepared across Punjab. The chief minister also ordered expansion of the Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence, increasing its intake from 240 to 1,500 students. The School Meal Programme is set to begin in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Lodhran, Bhakkar, Mianwali and Bahawalnagar, with proposals to include energy bars, milk, biscuits and other nutritious items under review. The meeting approved a target to construct additional classrooms by the end of the year and complete over 400 toilet blocks in girls' schools. Other initiatives include ongoing Google training for students and teachers, plans to build 6,000 STEM and science labs, and 'rationalisation' of school staffing. CM Maryam Nawaz emphasised the need for quality teacher training and issued instructions that school entrances across Punjab be standardised. She said, "We aim to make our government schools better than even the best private institutions in Punjab."
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Educational curriculum: Federal govt decides to include AI subject
LAHORE: Chairman Prime Minister's Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has said the federal government has decided to include Artificial Intelligence as a subject in the educational curriculum for enhancing technological capabilities of youth. While addressing a ceremony here, Rana said equipping the youth with modern technology is the need of the hour and the current government is taking necessary steps in this regard. He said the Prime Minister's Youth Skill Development Program (PMYSDP) was initiated to strengthen the quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The purpose of the program is to equip young people with market-driven conventional and high-tech skills required for career progression with an aim to bring capacity of youth at par with international standards, he said. According to him, PMYSDP is the vehicle of change to empower youth and harness their potential for human development and transformation of the future of Pakistan. The program comprises several components of interventions to stimulate the transformation of the entire TVET system in the country. As per official sources, the Prime Minister's Youth Program has successfully implemented initiatives to empower the country's youth, achieving all set targets. The focus of the program was to empowering young individuals through its comprehensive 4E framework, which encompassed four pivotal pillars, Education, Employment, Engagement and Environment. The sources claimed that a holistic approach was designed to foster a well-rounded and skilled youth population, equipped to drive positive change and progress. These initiatives included the Youth Laptop Scheme, which connects the youth with technology and provides support for education to the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) talented students. The sources claimed the Youth Skills Development Program provided training in various businesses and technologies, while the Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme offered free loans to businessmen. The National Innovation Award promoted startups, and supports the development in the IT Startups and Venture Capital Project IT sector. According to the sources, the Youth Internship Program provided job opportunities to young people in Academia and the labor market, while the National Youth Council advised policy making. The National Volunteer Corps voluntarily encouraged positive change, and digital Youth Hubs connected young people with digital skills and opportunities. In addition, Talent Hunt Sports League and Sports Academies played a vital role in the development of sports and the Green Youth Movement trains young people with environmental protection. It may be added that under the Prime Minister's Youth Program, Rs 29.404 billion were provided for PM Youth Laptop Scheme, for Pakistan Education Endowment Fund Rs 14 billion has been allocated besides Prime Minister Youth Skills Development Program Rs 15 billion, PM Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme Rs 105 billion, Prime Minister Volunteer Corps Rs 1.8 billion, Prime Minister Digital Youth Hub Rs 447 million, PMs Talent Hunt Youth Sports League Rs 240 million, PM Sports Academies Rs 998 million and Prime Minister Green Youth Movement Rs 1.94 billion allocated. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
