Punjab Education Foundation (PEF)

PEF’s teachers training program helpful in improving quality of education

2013-05-14T12:02:00.000+05:00

PEF’s teachers training programs helpful in improving quality of education

2013-05-13T15:54:00.001+05:00

LAHORE, May 13: A 5-member high level delegation of the British Council led by its U.K. based Chief Executive Martin Davidson visited a low-cost girls private school affiliated with the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) under its Foundation Assisted School (FAS) program in Baghbanpura. Other members of the delegation included Stephan Roman Regional Director South Asia, Peter Upton Director British Council Pakistan, Richard Weyers Director British Council Punjab chapter, Ms. Danielle Soper Bhat Training Consultant and Ms. Aisha Nauman Projects Manager. The purpose of the visit was to personally watch the quality of training being imparted to the English language teachers of various FAS partner schools of the provincial metropolis. The training has been arranged by the PEF in collaboration with the British Council Pakistan to improve and enhance the didactic skills of the English language teachers of elementary and secondary level partner schools under its Certificate in Secondary English Language Teaching (CiSELT) program. On the occasion, PEF-Deputy Managing Director (HRM) Aamir Iftikhar Ahmed and Director (CPDP) Bushra Saeed Khan briefed the British delegation about various aspects of teachers training program of the Foundation aiming at improving the quality of education of partner schools through teachers’ trainings. Mr. Ahmed said that PEF model of public private partnership, comprising of about 3300 partner schools in 36 districts of the province, has greatly helped to expeditiously extend free education to the doors of poor and the needy. Ms. Khan told that the training modules have been designed to give state of the art trainings to the teachers and follow-up workshops are also held to ensure that the teachers may not forget the training lessons. She maintained that training facility has helped in the standardization of teaching faculty adding that this has broadened their future job prospects, as well. Later, the British Council delegation visited various class rooms and observed the training session. They also met with teachers & students and inquired about the quality of education and the future plans of the girl students. He said that PEF’s teachers training programs are helpful in improving the quality of education of partner schools. While talking to the students, Martin Davidson hailed their enthusiasm and hoped that it would help in improving teaching methodology. While appreciating the confidence level and communication skills of the girl students, he said that this program has also promoted learning and creative abilities of the girls who are keen to learn new ideas in teaching. He also assured British Council’s full support to the PEF in its teachers training programs.

gurmani foundation doles out certificates to PEF's bright students

2013-05-03T15:10:00.001+05:00

LAHORE, May 03: The Gurmani Foundation has doled out special gifts to the shining students of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) who secured more than 90 percent marks in matriculation exams, 2012. In this regard, a function was held at the PEF office to give certificates and shields to the students of schools situated in northern districts and partnered with the PEF under its Foundation Assisted School (FAS) program. Chairman Punjab Education Foundation Raja Anwar presided over the function while PEF Additional Director Syed Naveed Abbas, partner school teachers and students also attended the function. Addressing the ceremony, PEF Chairman Raja Anwar lauded the philanthropic spirit of Gurmani Foundation and said that the voluntary organizations and the corporate entities should contribute in the promotion of education in poor communities. He maintained that promotion of education is a collective cause; therefore, the society should fully participate in this crusade of eradicating ignorance and poverty from the Pakistani society. He went on to say that the PEF has outlined a detailed a road map of opening the doors of education to the out of school children during next five years by helping them to study in their nearby schools through various educational programs offered by the Foundation by involving the private sector. He termed the FAS as flagship program of the Foundation and added that as many as 11 lakh students are getting free education through 2167 FAS partner schools in 36 districts of the province. He also paid rich tributes to the services of Gurmani Foundation and said that Mrs. Khalida Ghazanfar and Mrs. Abida Aminullah are doing a wonderful job through their CSR agenda. The function was also addressed by school teachers and students. Later, Raja Anwar distributed certificates and shields among the students and teachers. On the occasion, special message of Gurmani Foundation for the PEF students was also read. It may be added here that Gurmani Foundation is a philanthropic organization that caters to the promotion and welfare of the community at large and has been actively involved in funding institutions geared at imparting knowledge and other culturally inclined endeavors.

World Malaria Day, 2013

2013-04-25T09:40:00.002+05:00

World Malaria Day, 2013 World Malaria Day is being celebrated throughout the world, today, with the theme Invest in the future, Defeat malaria. Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals which has caused deaths since ancient times. The students should help in creating a clean and healthy atmosphere so that they and other people could remain safe from this disease. They, however, can go through the world-famous novel “Love in the season of cholera” by Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez in their leisure time.

A New Leaf in History

2013-04-24T14:55:00.001+05:00

A New Leaf in History Arranging education for the poor and economically deprived communities has been a big challenge in our society. In order to meet this, the Punjab Government constituted an autonomous statuary body with the name of Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) in 1991 to shoulder the burden of educational expenses. Since then, Foundation has come a long way to overcome this discrepancy. It has now spread to all the 36 districts of the province with an enrollment of about 13 lakh students. PEF has won recognition not only inside Pakistan but the international donors have also commended the public private partnership model of the PEF. Because of its efficient mechanism, transparency and cost effectiveness, the PEF has now been mandated to provide free education to 4 million poor out of school children during the next five years. The U.K. based DFID is going to fund this proposed expansion plan which would help to give free education to the children who are out of school because of their lack of resources. It’s an historic opportunity and the darkness of ignorance and poverty will shed away, Insha’Allah. The representative of McKinsey- a U.S based consultancy firm, namely Ms .Jennifer Lynch worked very hard to device an implementation plan for the expansion. She worked in close contact with the PEF staff to materialize the plan according to desired targets. Now, she is about to leave this project and Mr. Andrew Pereira has already assumed his new assignment with the PEF. We bid warm farewell to Ms. Jennifer Lynch and welcome Mr. Andrew Pereira.

World Book Day

2013-04-23T10:35:00.000+05:00

Today is World Book Day. It was designated by UNESCO on 23 April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It is celebrated in more than 100 countries all over the world. This day encourages children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own. We are lucky that our religion Islam stresses for learning. There is a famous saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in which He asked the Muslims to seek knowledge from cradle to grave. In the light of this, the Punjab Education Foundation is working for the promotion of knowledge-based society by opening the doors of education to everyone.

PEF gives library books to partner schools

2013-04-21T11:23:00.000+05:00

The Punjab Education Foundation has given quality library books to partner schools showing good results in exams. These books were doled out by the GTZ of Germany to improve the intellectual ken and understanding of the children enrolled in partner schools. This initiative is part of PEF efforts to provide quality schooling to the students.

link of latest column of PEF chairman Raja Anwar

2013-04-05T06:51:00.000+05:00

http://e.dunya.com.pk/colum.php?date=2013-04-05&edition=LHR&id=7017_95365172

Plan International supports PEF in anti-corporal punishment mechanism

2013-04-04T20:04:00.000+05:00

LAHORE, April 4: The Punjab Educational Foundation (PEF) has launched a comprehensive institutional mechanism for banning corporal punishment in its more than one hundred partner schools in the province. The mechanism has been developed in collaboration with the internationally acclaimed voluntary organization Plan International with funding from UK aid through the ILM Ideas Program. It is expected that this program will help to promote child-friendly schooling in partner schools teaching more than 30,000 girls and boys, most of whom belong to poor and backward areas. This initiative will greatly help to infuse the traits of self-confidence and exquisiteness in young students. The Chairman Punjab Education Foundation, Raja Anwar stated this while delivering his key-note address at a seminar on Corporal Punishment’s Redressal System held under the aegis of Plan International and UK aid at a local hotel on Thursday. Besides PEF Chairman Raja Anwar, Country Programme Manager of Plan International Ms. Farah Naz and PEF Law Officer Ms. Uzma Saeed also spoke on the occasion. Plan International’s high officials, principals of PEF partner schools OF Rajanpur district, media persons and representatives of the civil society also attended the seminar. The Plan International has launched anti-corporal punishment program for the PEF partner schools in collaboration with UK aid and ILM Ideas (Advocacy and Innovation Funds for education in Pakistan). This program has been launched with the prime objective of extending the concept of Learn without Fear in all the PEF partner schools in the district of Rajanpur. Addressing the function, PEF Chairman Raja Anwar said that the provincial government has already strictly banned the corporal punishment in all the public and private schools in the province. He observed that the students should be brought up in an atmosphere of understanding, security and love & care. They shouldn’t be subdued, corporally punished or humiliated in any way as it affects children’s physical, mental and intellectual growth, he added. A school is the best place of learning where the personality of the child should be moulded in such a way so as to carve his bright future. Children learn more by seeing; they imbibe whatever is presented to them. Discipline can be instilled through suave behaving in front of the students. Punishing them and implementing hard rules will only cease their overall growth, he said. PEF Chairman also appreciated the technical assistance provided by Plan International to enhance schools’ enrolment by introducing the concept of learning without fear. Plan International’s Program Manager Farrah Naz briefed the audience about the redressal mechanism for corporal punishment. She said that the purpose of introducing this institutional mechanism in schools is to bring about general awareness towards the negative practice of corporal punishment, and to be able to address the issue of corporal punishment in schools by developing a system to respond to any complaint primarily at the school level. With a view to promote child-friendly schooling, committees will be formed in all the PEF partner schools in Rajanpur district which would be comprising of members from concerned communities, parents and teachers. She told that school committee members in general and teachers in particular will be imparted necessary training by the Plan International to sensitize them about the negative consequences of corporal punishment. She hoped that this program will help improve the quality of education, ensure child-protection, increase in enrollment and eliminate corporal punishment. ******

Mechanism launched for banning corporal punishment

2013-04-04T11:00:00.000+05:00

2013-04-02T22:57:00.001+05:00

PEF-Qarshi Foundation's educational drive for students

2013-04-02T22:38:00.003+05:00

RAWALPINDI, 1st April: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has launched the 10th phase of its Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) in 28 different districts in Punjab. These districts have been selected on the basis of poverty ratio and educational backwardness. In this extension phase which is going to be commenced from the month of May, vouchers will be issued to as many as ten thousand poor and deserving children of 5 to 16 years of age to study free of cost in schools of choice up to Matric level. With this extension, the total number of EVS beneficiary students will be raised to one lakh and 50 thousand students in the province. The Chairman Punjab Education Foundation Raja Anwar stated this while addressing the geometry boxes distribution ceremony at PEF regional office Rawalpindi on Monday. The function was largely attended by the students, teachers and principals of EVS partner schools of Rawalpindi, Attock and Chakwal districts. These geometry boxes have been doled out by the Qarshi Foundation under its corporate social responsibility principles to shoulder education in the poor strata. The EVS is the voucher-based program of the foundation which has opened the doors of education to the poor children of economically deprived strata by paying their monthly fee and provision of text books. At the outset of his key-note address, the PEF Chairman maintained that EVS has indubitably emerged as the most beneficial program for giving totally free education to the deserving children in a very congenial atmosphere. At present, partnership has been made with low-cost private schools situated in 235 poor localities in Punjab to educate the children who otherwise couldn’t access it due to various reasons, he said. PEF Chairman pointed out that EVS has promoted educational harmony at the grassroots by giving equal opportunity to the deserving students from the minority communities to enjoy equivalent access to this program. “PEF has introduced a number of far-reaching educational reforms for improving the academic standards of the partner schools and this has helped the partners to emerge as proud symbol of quality education. PEF has also planned to educate as many as 40 lakh out of school children by 2018.” Our students’ attendance record is more than 90 percent which is excellent; besides introducing free technical training in 22 different beneficial skills for secondary school students, PEF has also introduced latest optimal mark reader technology for paper checking, he told. Raja Anwar further said that major thrust of the foundation is in the education-wise backward districts of southern Punjab where poor children often couldn’t access the opportunities of quality schooling due to lack of resources. The foundation has also opened 22 partner schools in the model villages under its new school program to provide quality education to the children of marooned people. He asked the partners to encourage the poor families in their areas to send their children to partner schools for changing their lives. The function was also addressed by Mr. Sanaullah Akmal Incharge Tabeeb of Qarshi Foundation who assured full support to PEF students in future as well. Later, PEF Chairman distributed geometry boxes among partners.

Urdu Column of PEF Chairman Raja Muhammad Anwar

2013-03-28T12:45:00.001+05:00

Roznama Dunya

PEF-Staff Training at PIM

2013-03-28T11:17:00.003+05:00

PEF-Students at its Peak

2013-03-28T10:28:00.001+05:00

PEF chairman Raja Anwar giving away prize to NSP school teacher in Kasur

2013-03-26T05:02:00.003+05:00

PEF-FAS students session on LUMS NOP program in Rawalpindi

2013-03-25T06:27:00.004+05:00

PEF students to apply for LUMS NOP

2013-03-24T17:58:00.001+05:00

Rawalpindi, March 24: Holding the spirit of social enlightenment, the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) arranged an awareness session about LUMS National Outreach Program (NOP) for the PEF partner schools students securing at least 80 percent marks in their secondary school exams, 2012. The purpose of this session was to sensitize the students, mostly belonging to the impecunious strata, about gratis opportunities of higher education and how to benefit from them. The session was held at PEF regional office Rawalpindi on Sunday. Besides matriculate students of various north region schools associated with the foundation under its Foundation Assisted School (FAS) program, teachers and principals also attended the session. PEF Regional Director Syed Naveed Abbas dwelled on LUMS program of higher education for high achievers and its lifetime benefits. He told that LUMS NOP program is a 100 percent funded undergraduate program launched to benefit the talented underprivileged students from smaller cities and remote villages. PEF is a role model organization which is working to reshape lives through gratis education; students should fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the foundation for the economically deprived children in the province, he concluded. Later, application forms and acknowledgement gifts were distributed among the students. ******

PEF-NSP school function

2013-03-23T22:08:00.001+05:00

LAHORE, March 23: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has opened the doors of quality education to poor and deserving students through its New School Program (NSP) in the province. This program is helpful in eradicating illiteracy in the poor and far-flung hinterlands where public and private school infrastructure is insufficient or too inadequate to accommodate the poor children who could not afford their basic educational expenses like fee or books. Chairman Punjab Education Foundation Raja Anwar stated this while addressing the prize distribution function of a girls PEF-NSP school in Kasur on Saturday. Teachers, parents and girl students attended the ceremony in large numbers. Addressing the function, Raja Anwar said that NSP has emerged as a ray of hope for the poor children, especially the girls, who couldn’t daily go to afar places for studies on public transport means or unsupportive cultural norms of their families hamper their education. He said that partnership has been made with more than four hundred schools in various districts under the NSP to promote quality education in the education-wise backward areas. PEF-NSP school teachers’ capacity building is also done to improve and strengthen their educational standards, he added. He further said that promotion of girls’ education is the need of the hour so that our girls could play their due role in the process of national development. Various PEF programs have changed the destinies of poor children by providing them quality education in conducive atmosphere and near to their doorsteps, he concluded. The function was also addressed by the school principal. Later, the PEF Chairman distributed prizes among the brilliant students. ****

PEF-FAS DCM at Pir Sohawa, Islamabad

2013-03-20T05:58:00.000+05:00

Lahore, March 18: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has envisaged providing gratis educational facilities up to matric level to as many as two lakh poor and deserving children of suitable ages in next five years under it public private partnership model. The purpose of this initiative is to open the doors of quality education to the economically deprived children especially the females who couldn’t go to schools due to lack of resources and access. Chairman, Punjab Education Foundation, Raja Anwar stated this while presiding over the district coordination meeting of various schools of northern region partnered with the PEF under its foundation assisted schools (FAS) program, at a local hotel, on Monday. PEF-DMDs, Director (FAS) Nadeem Masood and other concerned officers also attended the meeting. At the outset, PEF Chairman observed that public private partnership in the field of education has greatly helped the poor communities in Punjab as it catalyzed to break the shackles of poverty through quality education. “It’s important to note that the foundation was already giving free education to 13 lakh deserving students in Punjab and 52 percent of them are females.” While underscoring the importance of promoting knowledge-based society for national development, he said that shouldering the educational expenditures of about 11 lakh deserving students in Punjab, under the umbrella of FAS, is a clear proof of its huge success and service to the poor. His also disclosed that Department for International Development of the United Kingdom has agreed to provide financial support worth 70 million pounds for a period of five years to the PEF for further extending the gratis educational programs. PEF Chairman told that initiatives like anti-corporal punishment program, library books and co-curricular activities have helped to develop a confident generation of youngsters. He told that complaint cell has been set up in the FAS program to immediately solve the issues relating to the partners. He announced that upper ceiling of A plus, A & B category FAS schools has been increased from 500 to 750 students while the upper ceiling of 750 has also been increased to one thousand students to accommodate the maximum number of deserving students. Similarly, FAS partners are allowed to give admissions to deserving 5-16 years old out of school children and for this purpose, they are permitted to construct additional class rooms within three months. The DCM was also addressed by DMD-Finance Salman Anwar Malik, Director-FAS Nadeem Masood and Additional Director Iftikhar Rabbani.

2013-03-15T20:52:00.000+05:00

LAHORE, March 14: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has issued education vouchers to one lakh and 40 thousand deserving male and female students to help them to study free of cost in schools of choice up to Matric level in Punjab. Chairman Punjab Education Foundation, Raja Anwar stated this while addressing the prize distribution ceremony of an EVS partner school in Sukhnehr area on Thursday. Addressing the function, Raja Anwar said that education vouchers are a symbol of bright future of poor children who have no resources to go to schools on their own. This scheme has helped the poorest out of school children to join educational institutions for studies. Now, PEF has laid the foundation of a prosperous and educated Pakistan through its beneficial educational interventions, he added. He said that PEF also conducts quality assurance tests to monitor the academic standards of the EVS partner schools. Terming education voucher scheme as the biggest gratis educational drive in the whole world, PEF Chairman said that it heralds the bright future for the impecunious strata. School principal also addressed the function. Later, PEF Chairman distributed prizes among bright students.

Education is vital for composite development-Raja Anwar

2013-03-15T20:50:00.001+05:00

HANDOUT (A) LAHORE, March 15: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) shall provide a total of five lakh vouchers to poor and deserving children in the province during the next five years to help them to study free of cost in the schools of their choice. These vouchers will be issued under the education voucher scheme of the PEF and monthly fee besides provision of free textbooks will be borne out by the foundation. Chairman Punjab Education Foundation Raja Muhammad Anwar stated this while addressing the penal discussion on the topic of compulsory education at a local hotel on Friday. The discussion was organized by Alif Ailaan and was attended by civil society activists, academicians, students and members of the legal fraternity. Besides Raja Anwar, Rafay Alam, Abbas Rashid, Mansoor Malik and Waqas Jaffari also spoke on the topic. Raja Anwar said that Punjab Education Foundation has prepared a composite roadmap of promoting quality education in the poor and the hapless communities by arranging free education for their children through the EVS. This expansion plan has been chalked out to achieve the objectives and goals of Chief Minister’s Education Roadmap. He told that PEF will provide free educational opportunities to four million out of school children by 2018 and observed that this revolutionary initiative would go a long way in mitigating the menace of ignorance and poverty from the society. He asked the private sector schools to lend a helping hand in promoting the light of knowledge and open the doors of their institutions to the poor children. This is the best service to humanity, he maintained. Later, question answer session was also held and the participants raised different questions about the educational scenario in the country and the role of public and private sector. ###

Private sector vital for promoting education-Raja Anwar

2013-03-13T20:32:00.000+05:00

HANDOUT ISLAMABAD, March 12: Equal access to all means of education is the fundamental right of every child which helps the poor and ‘have-nots’ to break socio-economic barriers and reach-out to new opportunities in life. Quality education system is an important precondition to the eradication of poverty as it trains best managers to run the economy and other fields of life and this, in turn, generates socio-economic growth. Chairman Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), Raja Anwar stated this while delivering his key-note address at one-day round-table conference on privatization of education in Pakistan at a local hotel on Monday. The conference, organized by the Society for Access to Quality Education (SAQE), was largely attended by academicians, civil society members and intellectuals. PEF Chairman said that PEF model of public private partnership has helped promoting quality education in many ways. For partner schools, it’s economically beneficial as well as useful in teachers’ training; and it is a great source of free education for the poor students especially the girls who cannot go afar on public transport and their families’ archaic cultural taboos also discourage girls’ education. PEF has also given vouchers to one lakh 40 thousand deserving students to study in schools of choice. It is important to note that 52 percent of the 13 lakh PEF beneficiaries in Punjab are females and the most important thing to note is that PEF programs have proved equally beneficent for the deserving non-muslim students. In fact, it’s a proud symbol of soft image of Pakistan, he maintained. Raja said: “We also have a well-designed teachers training program for the low-cost private schools and subject specialists in Science and English subjects are also provided to strengthen and improve the quality of education of small scale private schools.” Raja Anwar further said that besides PEF, Punjab government has taken many other pro-poor steps to shoulder the education of the needy students. It has established Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and Daanish School System to bear the burden of educational expenditures of the talented students enrolled in the institutions of higher education as well as to give free education to the poor and deserving students in most congenial atmosphere. The steps taken during the last five years in Punjab have helped and strengthened the private sector. There is no doubt that public and private sectors are two important wheels of progress and any development process cannot be completed without equal participation of the private sector, he concluded. On the occasion, senior civil servant and member BOR Punjab, Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik termed PEF model as unique in the whole of south asia. He commended the PEF approach to solve the educational imbalance at the grassroots and giving gratis education to the impecunious strata and observed that PEF is a ray of hope for the poor. He said that education should be treated as a number one priority by everyone and the civil society should come forward to lend a helping hand to the government. The conference was also addressed by Dr. Sajid Ali, Ms. Nargis Sultana, Aziz Kabani, Imtiaz Jilani, Ms. Zahira Arshad and Arshad Nafees Khan who stressed the need for enhancing educational budget to accommodate the rising number of students. *****

DFID Trainers with PEF Staff

2013-03-04T11:41:00.000+05:00

Pictorial Coverage of Two Days Training Session on "Sampling Methodology" on 4-03-13 to 05-03-13 at PEF Head Office,Lahore.

PEF arranged exclusive arrangements on Anti-Dengue Day

2013-02-23T13:57:00.000+05:00