LAHORE: The World Bank is working on a scoping study for designing a sustained public-private partnership based model for the education sector that could best serve according to the socio-economic and cultural needs of the society.
In this regard, a focus-group discussion was held at a local hotel on Friday with Managing Director, Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) Dr. Aneela Salman in the chair.
PEF Program Directors including Maliha Batool & Samina Nawaz, besides World Bank team members namely Amina Mir, Neelam Ejaz, Haider Ali Daud Khan and Varda Malik attended the meeting. A select group of PEF partner NGOs working in the field of school education in Punjab also participated in the discussion.
At the outset, the meeting was told that the aim of this scoping study was to determine if non-profits, corporate sector and social entrepreneurs could join hands with the government to further improve equal access to education for children in low-performing districts.
The MD PEF told that the foundation had introduced many successful educational models by involving the low-cost private schools in different districts of the province. She especially mentioned that PEF sponsored interventions in Cholistan and other education-wise backward areas in the southern Punjab have greatly benefited the local communities in a number of ways, and it was hoped that PEF’s consummate role will further help to strengthen the local school education system.
“One of the most important aspects of PEF sponsored models is its cost-effectiveness, efficiency and result-oriented approach, which is quite unique and successful in the Pakistani scenario”, she added.
Dr. Salman hoped that the involvement of non-governmental organizations in education-promotion would give further impetus to this noble cause and ultimately benefit the disfranchised sections of the society, besides helping to achieve the goals of “Parho Punjab, Barho Punjab”. This will also help to eradicate the deleterious effects of ignorance and illiteracy at the grassroots.
The meeting especially appreciated PEF’s inclusive education and evening schooling projects for the needy students and termed them as milestone in rehabilitating such children in need.
On the occasion, different aspects of public private partnership based model were discussed in detail by the participants and the meeting agreed that education, being a national agenda, should be fully participated by the private sector so that the target of hundred percent enrolment could be well-achieved by year 2018 in Punjab.
