CM Punjab unveils free transport & lunch for school students

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has introduced a series of transformational measures to elevate public education across the province.

Major announcements include the launch of a van service for government school students and the introduction of “Montessori Schools on Wheels”, aimed at increasing educational access, especially in underserved areas.

Chairing a high-level meeting of the School Education Department, the chief minister directed the authorities to prepare a detailed plan for Punjab’s first structured school transport system, especially for benefiting children from remote areas.

The meeting also green-lit the school and Teacher of the Month award scheme. Performance will be evaluated on the basis of discipline, teaching quality, laboratory facilities and overall academic outcomes.

Record-breaking Growth Through School Outsourcing

Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat provided updates on ongoing departmental efforts. He reported a 99% rise in student enrolment and a 114% increase in teaching staff via the public-private school outsourcing model. This initiative has already generated over 60,000 jobs for the province’s educated youth.

Punjab now boasts the world’s largest education-based public-private partnership, with 1.3 million students enrolled in just 16 months. In the upcoming year, 10,500 more schools are slated for outsourcing. The first phase drew 40,000 applications for 5,700 schools.

Significant infrastructure upgrades were also highlighted:

• 413 classrooms built
• 5,000+ classrooms renovated
• 2,887 roofs repaired
• 254,000 sq. metres of boundary walls constructed
• 50+ schools shifted to solar power
• Provision of 1,643 water tanks, 5,830 coolers, and 9,303 blackboards

Nutrition and Early Childhood Education Initiatives

In select districts like Faisalabad, students in outsourced schools are receiving midday meals through community-based models. Over 70,000 furniture sets have also been provided to improve classroom environments.

Under the Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) Tech Schools pilot, technical institutions are being introduced, with plans to replicate them in rural areas. Meanwhile, an English Conversation Programme, aligned with IELTS Level 4, is being rolled out to benefit 300,000 students over six months.

To support early education, 10,000 classrooms for early childhood learning have already been equipped.

Expansion of Centres of Excellence and Nutrition Programmes

The Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence will expand its capacity from 240 to 1,500 students. A new School Meal Programme is set to launch in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Lodhran, Bhakkar, Mianwali, and Bahawalnagar, with the planned inclusion of milk, biscuits, energy bars, and other nutritious items.

Infrastructure and Digital Education

By year-end, hundreds of new classrooms and over 400 toilet blocks for girls’ schools are expected to be completed. Plans also include:

• Establishment of 6,000 STEM and science labs
• Continued Google training for teachers and students
• Ongoing staff rationalisation to improve school management

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz stressed the importance of high-quality teacher training and instructed that school entrances across Punjab be standardized to create a consistent and welcoming environment.

“Our mission is to make public schools in Punjab better than even the top private institutions,” she declared.