On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi announced a ban on corporal punishment in schools and madaris at the request of Malala Yousafzai and added that awarding physical punishment to students, especially to female students, will not be acceptable at all.
“We will implement the law on giving physical punishment, and this law will be passed by Punjab Assembly during the current month,” he assured the Nobel peace laureate, who called on him at the CM Office to discuss activities of the Malala Fund in Pakistan, future strategies and other projects.
Former federal minister Moonis Elahi was also present on occasion.
The promotion of education in the province, especially in girls’ education and the STEAM programme, was also discussed.
Malala lauded Elahi’s programme to introduce reforms in the education sector and paid rich tributes to the education-friendly steps of the chief minister.
While talking with Malala Yousafzai, Punjab CM disclosed that 25,000 teachers would be inducted into vacant posts in schools across Punjab.
He said that teachers would be inducted to impart Punjabi education at the primary level, adding that the literacy rate would increase by adopting the mother tongue as a source of providing education.
“Punjab government is going to launch free transport for female students.”
He said that stipends to female students in South Punjab had been increased by 100 per cent.
CM Elahi said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) will again be functionalised and will be made effective. “The STEAM programme comprising science, technology and engineering arts and mathematics will soon be implemented,” he said and added the Punjab government will provide all possible cooperation for opening up a policy unit for the STEAM programme.