Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to education, said on Sunday that his administration was promoting technological integration into the education system to not only uplift the quality of the curriculum but to also equip the youth with the skills they need to thrive in a digital world.
In a message issued on International Literacy Day, the premier underscored the necessity of developing skills in line with the evolving technological landscape. His comments for technological integration, therefore, were made in this regard. It is pertinent to mention here that countries across the globe are now reshaping their curriculum and educational practices to cater to the changing requirements of the world.
Moreover, developments being made in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have stirred a debate surrounding the ways to utilize this technology in the classroom while preventing it from being misused to gain an undue advantage.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the private sector and the civil society were equally participating to assist the government in achieving its objectives. He also highlighted the need to bridge the gap between academia and industries.
While technological advancement is another goal of the government, it is also working on improving the literacy rate in the country, considering that it is a gateway to empowerment. In this regard, the premier also sought support from the people of Pakistan. Stressing the necessity of education for all for a prosperous future, he said that it is underscored and guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan.
He also said that his administration, deeming education as the backbone of the society, has imposed an educational emergency, whereby it has taken various initiatives to advance its cause. These initiatives include mass enrollment campaigns, mid-day meals in schools and scholarships to prevent students from dropping out and to encourage them to complete their education.
CM Honahar Scholarship Program 2024
With a total budget of Rs131 billion for the next seven years, the provincial government of Punjab will be giving out scholarships amounting to Rs7 billion in the initial phase to undergraduate students to enable them to pursue their dreams.
In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between private universities and the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) at the Arfa Karim Tower. As a result of this agreement, 30,000 students of Punjab will gain the opportunity to study at prestigious institutions. These institutions include LUMS, NUST, FAST, IBA Karachi and Aga Khan University.
These universities will scrutinize and select students while the regulatory process will be looked after by the PHEC. The scholarships would, therefore, be finalized by the 5th of November and issued by the 15th of November.
Moreover, the provincial government will advertise the scholarship initiative through various channels. Those interested in the scheme can get more details from the websites of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), PHEC, and Higher Education Department (HED), besides the portals of the universities participating in the program.
The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) is facilitating the application process whereas universities will conduct the verification. The PHEC will conduct the background check to ensure that only those deserving are awarded the scholarship.