Government schools to introduce free lunch programme for students

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed authorities to expedite reforms in Islamabad’s government schools, focusing on infrastructure, curriculum, teacher training and other educational facilities. He also announced the activation of a free lunch programme for students.

Chairing a high-level meeting on improving government schools in the federal capital, the prime minister instructed Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to ensure that the identified shortcomings were addressed within the prescribed timeframe.

Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to utilise all available resources to resolve infrastructure problems on an urgent basis, emphasising that providing students with a safe and suitable learning environment was the government’s responsibility.

He also ordered the implementation of a free lunch programme to ensure that students received proper nutrition. In addition, he called for the early installation of smart boards in all government schools to improve teaching methods and learning facilities.

The prime minister directed officials to develop a comprehensive strategy to make the Federal Directorate of Education a more effective and efficient institution. He stressed that government school teachers should concentrate solely on teaching and educational activities rather than being assigned unrelated duties. He also called for merit-based recruitment of teachers.

To facilitate students’ access to education, Shehbaz instructed authorities to expand the government school bus service. He further directed the outsourcing of student transport services, with their performance to be assessed through third-party validation.

The prime minister also called for the installation of solar power systems in government schools and directed authorities to ensure that ramps were available at all institutions to accommodate students with physical disabilities. He further emphasised the need to provide quality medical facilities in schools.

During the meeting, officials reported that most government schools in Islamabad had basic facilities, including internet access, clean drinking water and computer laboratories. However, the survey had identified infrastructure-related shortcomings in some institutions.

Officials also informed the meeting that 278 government buses were currently operating across Islamabad to provide transport facilities to students enrolled in government schools.