The Punjab government has announced ambitious targets for the education sector in the upcoming fiscal year, with Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat stating that the province’s education budget will once again be historic.
He said billions of rupees will be allocated for development projects, new educational institutions, laptops, scholarships and teacher training programmes.
Rs150bln development budget planned
Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said the provincial government is preparing a development budget of around Rs150 billion for the education sector in the next fiscal year.
He added that the government has already achieved significant progress, claiming that 600 percent more development work has been completed this year compared to previous periods.
Major allocations for universities, colleges
According to the minister, the upcoming budget may include:
- Rs24 billion for universities
- Up to Rs42 billion for colleges
He said the focus will remain on strengthening higher education institutions across the province and improving infrastructure and academic standards.
New schools and centres of excellence
The education plan also includes the establishment of new institutions across Punjab.
The minister announced:
- 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence
- 5 new Danish Schools
- Centres of Excellence for elementary education in multiple districts
He said improving the quality of education will remain the government’s top priority in all new initiatives.
Rana Sikandar Hayat also highlighted efforts to modernise classrooms through technology.
He said 50,000 Chromebooks will be distributed among teachers, while the scope of Google Certified Training Programmes is being expanded to improve digital skills in the education sector.
Laptop and scholarship expansion
The minister added that more than 100,000 students have already benefited from the government’s laptop and scholarship programmes.
For the next fiscal year, the government plans to further expand the initiative, including:
- Laptops worth at least Rs50 billion
- Scholarships worth up to Rs100 billion
He said these programmes aim to support students academically and improve access to digital learning tools.
