techend
By Malik Shahzad Aslam :
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a major education and skills initiative offering free Google certification courses to more than 100,000 students across the province.
Under the programme, students will be able to access internationally recognised training courses without paying fees that typically range from 400 to 1,000 US dollars. Officials said the initiative is aimed at expanding digital skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and business intelligence.
The decision was taken during a review meeting on school and higher education projects, where the chief minister also approved the establishment of modern information technology laboratories in 166 government colleges across Punjab. She further directed that electric bus facilities be introduced for college students to improve transport access.
Officials said the measures are part of broader efforts to standardise college education and modernise learning infrastructure across the province. The chief minister ordered that ongoing school improvement projects, including those in Sargodha and other districts, be completed on an urgent basis.
The meeting was informed that tens of thousands of students will benefit from the latest phase of the provincial scholarship programme, with a record number of nearly 63,000 students set to receive awards in a single tranche for the first time in Punjab’s history. Special provisions will also be extended to visually impaired and other differently-abled students in the next phase.
Authorities also approved the affiliation of commerce colleges with public sector universities, linking 36 colleges across 29 districts with 19 universities to ensure standardised academic oversight.
Performance monitoring systems will be introduced for principals, teachers and university vice chancellors through key performance indicators to improve accountability in the education sector.
Officials said that 142,000 students have applied for the second phase of the laptop scheme, while hundreds of graduate students will also receive financial assistance under separate scholarship programmes.
The meeting was further briefed that millions of students participated in provincial assessment examinations, with high pass rates reported among both girls and boys. The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the overall performance and progress of the initiatives.
About The Author
