LAHORE: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has been hailed as a low-cost model for providing quality education to underprivileged children. The foundation runs over 7,000 schools in 36 districts, providing free education to more than 2.3 million students.
School Education Secretary Maqbool Ahmed Dhawla lauded the foundation’s work during his visit to the PEF head office. He emphasized the need to increase funding for PEF to increase the amount of per-student fee received by partner schools.
During the meeting, Dhawla directed PEF Managing Director Manzar Javed Ali to prepare a summary for increasing funds to adequately increase the existing stipend rate. Ali provided a detailed briefing on PEF’s educational projects, including the Foundation Assisted School Program, Education Voucher Scheme, and New School Program.
He also highlighted other important issues, such as the PEF monitoring system, quality assurance test, student information system, teacher training program, and the new PEF building.
Ali expressed confidence that with increased funding, PEF could bring an additional 0.5 million children into the existing infrastructure in its schools. Dhawla appreciated the efforts of PEF administration and PEF partners, saying that the foundation’s provision of free and quality education in the province at low cost was commendable.
He expressed hope that the PEF administration and partners would continue to work in the same spirit in the future, spreading the light of education further in remote areas of Punjab province under the PEF model.
