MULTAN, Feb 14 (APP):Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said on Saturday that the standard of public educational institutions had been raised significantly and was now higher than many private institutions.
Addressing the convocation of University of Southern Punjab, he said that when the present government came to power, there was a serious shortage of heads in colleges and universities, which was later overcome. He added that all vacant administrative posts had been filled with competent faculty members.
The minister said the government was working to bring Pakistani universities among the top-ranked institutions in the world within the next three years.
Referring to the impact of public-private partnership, he said a project launched in Jalalpur Pirwala proved so successful that a second shift had to be started at the school.
He said the government had removed the gap between public and private institutions and increased university grants by up to 500 percent to bring them closer to internationally recognised standards.
The minister said they were keen to raise the standard of educational institutions in underdeveloped regions and districts. That is why nutritional support is constantly being provided to students studying in public schools in the underdeveloped areas.
He urged students to focus on education, saying it was the only way forward for personal progress and national development.