The Punjab government has announced a plan to construct new elementary classrooms in over 1,100 schools across the province, aiming to enhance Early Childhood Education (ECE) facilities. Officials confirmed that a total of Rs. 250 million has been allocated for this initiative.
Each of the 1,139 selected schools will receive Rs. 250,000 to procure essential items such as books, child-friendly furniture, and early learning kits. The funds will be directly transferred to school heads, who will oversee the construction process and ensure completion within the assigned timeframe.
This development follows the province’s previous effort that saw the establishment of 5,000 ECE classrooms, including 209 in Lahore alone. However, a recent evaluation revealed that nearly 80 percent of schools have damaged or unusable ECE kits that were distributed three years ago. School administrators have urged the authorities to replace the worn-out materials promptly to support effective early education.
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Education department officials believe the new initiative will significantly improve the learning environment for young children and help raise the quality of public education across Punjab.
In a related matter, the department recently unearthed a major fraud involving 1.8 million ghost students falsely enrolled in government schools. The deception, reportedly costing the government around Rs. 50 billion each year, was identified through data matching in collaboration with NADRA.