Minister seeks proposals for implementing school reforms.

LAHORE -- Punjab Minister for Schools Education Murad Raas has directed the school education department to submit their proposals for implementing short-term, mid-term and long-term plans under 'The New Deal for Punjab'.

All the departments concerned are directed to submit their proposals within next seven days for introducing the educational reforms.

Chairing a meeting to review the educational reforms agenda at his office on Thursday, Mr Raas said information and communication technology should be efficiently utilised to solve the problems of the people at the earliest.

He said students would be imparted education in Urdu language in primary schools from the next academic year and English would be taught as a subject. The meeting also discussed the academic year from March 1.

The minister informed double shift would be introduced in 500 select primary schools of 20 districts from March 2019. This is part of the Insaf School Programme to help achieve the goal of 100pc enrollment in schools, he said.

The meeting appreciated the proposal of setting up health rooms which would be started in 1,700 selected schools of the province. It also discussed proposal for speedy installation of water filtration plants in the government schools of various districts and start of three sports periods in schools every week for improving health of students.

Mr Raas also proposed that a state-of-the-art 'Education Tower' should be constructed in Lahore to deal with diverse departmental matters under one-roof.

Later, he was given briefing on a computerised software application for dealing with posting/transfer of teachers. He...