Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has introduced sweeping reforms in Punjab’s education sector, marking 2024 as a transformative year for students and educators. Her administration has prioritized modernizing education, launching new initiatives, and addressing long-standing gaps in the system.
According to a Punjab CM office report, among the flagship projects is the Honhar Scholarship Program, which saw an increase in scholarship amounts from Rs30,000 to Rs50,000, benefiting thousands of students. The Public School Reorganization Program, another key initiative, saved the province Rs40 billion and created 70,000 new jobs while paving the way for 5,000 new classrooms in government schools.
To support female education, buses were provided to 19 girls’ colleges in the first phase of a transport initiative, with plans for further expansion. Additionally, the government rolled out the largest higher education internship program in the province’s history, hiring 7,354 college teacher interns with a monthly stipend of Rs50,000 each.
The chief minister has also prioritized health and nutrition for students. A pilot program was launched to provide tetra pack milk to over 400,000 students in districts like Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Muzaffargarh. Infrastructure improvements included the establishment of IT and science labs, construction of new classrooms, and the installation of solar-powered charging stations in schools and universities.
Looking toward the future, Maryam introduced a plan to incorporate artificial intelligence education into elementary schools, modeled on a Chinese framework. Digital initiatives have been accelerated, with a pilot project for satellite internet introduced at Model Town. To enhance access to education, a campaign was launched to bring out-of-school children back to classrooms, with selected tehsils targeted for zero dropout rates.
Sports and extracurricular activities also received a boost, with the announcement of a School Hockey League and Pakistan’s largest School Olympics.
Merit and transparency have been central to her reforms. Education officers, vice chancellors, and directors of colleges across Punjab have been appointed through transparent processes. The teacher transfer policy was revamped to include hardship categories, making it more teacher-friendly.
Addressing students’ professional aspirations, the Higher Education Department partnered with Google to offer certification courses to 10,000 students. Preparatory courses for entrance exams to medical and engineering colleges were also introduced for government college students.
‘We are committed to ensuring that every child in Punjab receives a modern, high-quality education,’ Maryam said. ‘Our reforms aim to align the education system with the requirements of the modern era, leaving no student behind.’
As the year concludes, these initiatives underscore her administration’s determination to reshape Punjab’s education system, making it more inclusive, innovative, and future-ready.