Punjab education budget 2011-2012
Rs 20b proposed for education budget
Lahore, May 20: A Sub-committee, comprising parliamentarians, constituted by Chief Minister
Shahbaz Sharif for budget formulation of the education sector, has recommended
an allocation of about Rs 20 billion under the Annual Development Programme
2011-2012, it is learnt. The sub-committee held a number of meetings and
finalised its recommendations in a recent meeting on May 17 which was also
attended by the secretaries of relevant departments of education
sector. The committee unanimously recommended to the Punjab government to
allocate Rs 14 billion for school education for the ADP 2011-2012. It also
recommended to the government to include provision of 1,000 science labs,
conduct of science fairs, provision of interactive smart board, 1,000 computer
labs in elementary schools, missing facilities in 1,000 high schools to convert
them into model schools and reconstruction of dangerous buildings, etc. in the
development programme of upcoming fiscal year. On the higher education
side, the sub-committee recommended an allocation of Rs5 billion while adding
that in the mid of upcoming financial year, needs of higher education be
reviewed and additional funds be provided. It also directed the Higher Education
Department Punjab to propose development proposal keeping in view the quality.
The sub-committee also recommended allocation of Rs 627 million for
literacy and non-formal basic education besides allocation of additional
resources for the sector on demand. It also called for strengthening of primary
schooling and launch of functional literacy programme programmes, including
provision of vocational training for learners. For special education, the
committee recommended budgetary allocation of around Rs 300 million for the next
fiscal year's development programme with additional funding of Rs 166 million.
The body, however, did not recommend allocation for sports sector which
is usually reflected in the education budget. As the department of sports has
recently been merged into the Punjab Higher Education Department, it is likely
that the allocation for higher education would also include the funds for
sports. If compared to the ADP 2010-2011, size of the upcoming ADP
2011-2012 for education sector is likely to be a bit small if the government
fully incorporates recommendations of the sub-committee. The total allocation
for education sector in 2010-2011 was Rs 23.1 billion including allocation for
sports sector. The school education had received Rs 14.05 billion, college
education Rs 6.3 billion, special education Rs 500 million, literacy &
non-formal education Rs 800 million and Rs 1.6 billion for sports in ADP
2010-2011. It is pertinent to mention here that the sub committee is
headed by PML-N MNA Ahsan Iqbal while its members include MNAs Abid Sher Ali,
Sardar M Shafqat Hayat Khan, Rana Mehmoodul Hassan, Muhammad Akhtar Khan Kanju
and MPAs Mian Atta Muhammad Khan Maneka, Saeed Akbar Khan Nawani, Ch Javed Ahmed
and Rana Muhammad Arshad. The other two members of the committee are:
Raja Muhammad Anwar, chairman Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), and Dr Zafar
Iqbal Qureshi, chairman of the Chief Minister's Punjab Strategy and Innovation
Unit. According to sources, it is for the first time that elected
representatives have been involved in budget formulation as earlier, they used
to only review budget preparation for different sectors. They say that CM
Shahbaz Sharif had constituted similar sub-committees for other sectors too with
an aim to incorporate recommendations of public representatives in formulation
of the budget. When contacted, one of the sub-committee members MPA Rana
Muhammad Arshad said the committee had also recommended completion of ongoing
construction of college buildings within this fiscal year. He said the launch of
Matric Tech programmes in government schools was also recommended besides
up-grade of schools.
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PU results
Lahore: The Punjab University's Examinations Department on Thursday announced the results of
various examinations. These exams include MA Physical Education, MSc Zoology,
Geography, Mountain Conservation & Water Shed Management, Part-I,
Supplementary Examination 2010, MPhil Home Economics, Semester System, Session
2009-2011, MSc Physical Education (Morning), Semester System, Session 2008-2010
and MSc Physical Education (Evening Self-supporting), Semester System, Session
2008-2010. Detailed results are available on PU website www.pu.edu.pk.
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Nepalese media team visits PU
Lahore: A six-member media delegation of Nepal visited the Punjab University's Centre for
South Asian Studies (CSAS) on the varsity's New Campus on Thursday. The members
of delegation included Hiranya Lal Shrestha, Dorji Tsering Sherpa, Deependra
Rokaya, Deependara Muni Bajracharya, Biswas Baral and Krishna Giri. PU Vice
Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran briefed the delegation about the academic and
research programmes of the varsity and said Nepal was the only country where
people of different religions lived peacefully whereas being a secular country,
it carried republic values at social level.
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PEF directors case adjourned
Lahore: The Lahore High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of a writ petition, challenging the
appointments of eight Directors of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), till
May 27. On Thursday, a representative of PEF sought time, as its counsel
was not available. Upon this, counsel for petitioner Muhammad Azhar
Siddique said the Punjab government was deliberately causing delay in the case
and wasting court's time. He pointed out that it was not a complicated case and
simple question of law involved in it. The court remarked that the government
committed blunders, and the people had to approach the court to get it
corrected. The judge made it clear that no further adjournment would be grated
on the next hearing. The Punjab government and Education Department had already
submitted replies, stating that all the appointments were made according to the
law. Justice Sh. Azmat Saeed was hearing a petition filed by Muhammad &
Ahmad, a public litigation firm, through Counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique,
submitting that the PEF was first established under the Punjab Education
Foundation Act 1991. However, the said act was dissolved through the Punjab
Education Foundation Act 2004 and the PEF was also dismissed, he added.
According to Section 5 of the new law, the petitioner submitted that a board,
comprising seven government and eight non-government directors, would be
constituted to run the affairs of the foundation. He alleged that the
Punjab government through a notification dated March 18, 2011 appointed six
government officers/public servants on the seats reserved for non-government
directors. He contended that the said appointments were politically motivated
and in violation of the law and constitution. He prayed to the court to declare
the said appointments as illegal. It was also prayed through a civil
miscellaneous application to stop the said directors from functioning and
suspend the notification of their appointments.
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27 caught cheating in Inter exams
Karachi: The officials of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) caught 27 unfair
mean cases on Thursday during the visit to different examination centres.
Meanwhile, the candidates blamed the centre superintendents and other college
staff for collecting the multiple choice questions (MCQs) 10 minutes before the
actual time. They also blamed that MCQs were distributed 10 minutes
late. Chairman BIEK Anwar Ahmed Zai expressed his disappointment over the
absence of law enforcers and said that the centre superintendents and candidates
were under pressure at a number of examination centres. In his letter
sent to the Home Department, the director general Rangers and high-ups of the
local police, Zai once again requested the authorities to deploy law enforcers
at sensitive examination centres. According to the BIEK, Government
Superior Science College, Shah Faisal Colony; Government Degree Boys College,
Nishter Road near KMC Store' Government Degree Boys College, Gulistan-e-Jauhar;
Islamia Government Science College, Jigar Muradabadi Road; PECHS Education
Foundation Government Science College, Kashmir Road; and Jamia Milia Government
Degree College (Morning) are among the sensitive examination centres. "A
reminder has been sent to the authorities concerned and the Board had once again
asked them to make necessary security arrangements at the examination centres,"
Zai said. "The college staff and candidates feel so insecure in the absence of
LEA. The deployment of LEA will help the centre superintendents to stop the
external influence at the examination centres," he further said. The
Board officials and media during the visit once again observed the electricity
issue at the examination centres. The male and female candidates were not
comfortable in the absence of power supply while they were busy in solving their
papers. The candidates of Class XI, Pre-Engineering, Home Economics and
General Computer Group appeared in the morning shift whereas no exam was
scheduled in the afternoon shift on Thursday. The students of Class XI,
Pre-Engineering and General Computer Group appeared in the paper of Mathematics
and the candidates of Home Economics appeared in the paper of Textile at 90
examination centres.
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Teachers seek removal of rehired officials
Peshawar: The teachers of the University of Engineering and Technology Thursday staged demonstration to
press the university administration to remove the retired officials who have
been rehired in violation of the Supreme Court directives. The
demonstration was organised by the Engineering University Teachers Association
(EUTA). The protesters rallied outside the conference room of the university to
welcome the syndicate members, who were busy in a meeting, with
anti-administration slogans. The protesters were of the opinion that
they would not accept any step against the employees or the university. They
said that six retired officials have been kept on key positions in the
university, creating unrest among the senior faculty members of the university.
They threatened to continue their strike and use all legal means till
removal of the retired people as was done in other public sector institutions in
the country in line with the Supreme Court directives. They were also
critical of the university administration for serving show-cause notices to the
president and general secretary of EUTA and accused it of resorting to unethical
tactics to pressure the teachers not to struggle for their genuine rights.
The teachers also declared to resist any decision of the university
administration to deprive the employees in the name of austerity drive of
various allowances, free education to their wards and other
privileges.
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SBBU campus in Chitral demanded
Chitral: The students belonging to various colleges on Thursday asked the president and prime minister
to establish a campus of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) in the
district. Addressing a press conference at the Chitral Press Club, the
students' leaders said that the district remained cut off from rest of the
country during the entire winter and establishment of the campus was a necessity
to promote higher education. They said that all the arrangements had been
completed for establishment of SBBU campus in Chitral and the provincial
government should provide building for the same. However, they felt the
recent announcement of the chief minister about establishment of the Chitral
campus of the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan had complicated the situation.
They said that students in Chitral would welcome the move if the campuses of
both the universities were established in the district. They also asked the ANP
leadership not to politicise the matter. The news
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