RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) Tuesday formally launched the expansion phase 15 of its public-private partnership based Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) in 16 selected districts of the province.
During this expansion, a target of educating 125,000 needy students of low income families through newly partnered 470 schools has been set.
According to Chairman, Punjab Education Foundation, (PEF) Engr. Qamar ul Islam Raja, the vouchers based education was a unique idea to educate the children of low income families near to their homes.
A voucher is issued to the needy student to study free of cost in PEF partner school of choice.
PEF provides books and monthly fee to the partner schools. This scheme is efficiently serving to the impecunious strata in all the 36 districts of the province.
In order to meet the rising needs of such communities, expansion phase had been launched, he added.
PEF is targeting to enroll a total of 2.8 million needy students in its partner schools by 2018.
This is part of “Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab” program of the provincial government, he told.
He said that the focus of this expansion phase was to provide free quality education in remote areas of the province.
This will especially benefit the girls living in remote and far-flung areas.
He maintained that education was a strong catalyzing force which helped in alleviating poverty and joblessness, while it prepared the budding minds as confident and forward looking youth to play their due role in national development.
Transparency and merit were the conspicuous hallmarks of PEF and its performance and good work was recognized both nationally as well as internationally, he added.
Source: APP
