Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif says providing equal educational and development opportunities to children from economically disadvantaged families is among the government’s top priorities.
He was chairing first meeting of the Daanish Authority Board in Islamabad today.
The Prime Minister said Daanish Schools are being established on this very principle, providing merit-based admission and quality education to deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds.
He directed the authorities to complete all under-construction Daanish Schools within the stipulated timeframe and ensure hundred percent boarding facilities for students at all new and ongoing campuses.
Shehbaz Sharif directed to make information technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies an integral part of Daanish Schools curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology.
He also directed to include project-based, skill-based and personality development courses in the curriculum.
The meeting was informed that 29 Daanish Schools have been proposed across the country, of which 15 have been approved and work is underway on 13, while classes have already commenced at the Daanish School in Kuri, Islamabad.
It was further informed that construction of Daanish Schools in Bagh and Bhimber in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Ghanche, Sultanabad and Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan, will be completed by December this year, with classes scheduled to begin in April next year.
During the meeting, the Board approved the establishment of an international-standard Teachers Training Institute for Daanish Schools, which will serve as a model institution for teacher training across Pakistan.
It also gave in-principle approval to the Daanish Schools Authority Rules besides approving the transfer of all land allocated for Daanish Schools to the Daanish Schools Authority.
The Prime Minister also directed that the Authority’s administrative structure be kept lean and cost-effective.
