CM Maryam Nawaz Orders Punjab Education Minister to Teach Weekly School Classes

Punjab Education Minister to Teach One Class in School Every Week: CM Maryam Nawaz Orders Groundbreaking Reforms

In a highly unconventional and unprecedented move to restructure the public sector academic landscape, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has officially directed the Provincial Education Minister, Rana Sikandar Hayat, to personally teach at least one class in school every week .

This high-level directive aims to bridge the gap between administrative policy and grassroots execution, giving leadership a first-hand view of the challenges faced by teachers and students in public institutions. The directive was issued during a high-profile, special meeting held in Lahore to thoroughly evaluate the ongoing Punjab School Reforms Programme (PSRP) and roll out new digital governance strategies across the province.

Direct Accountability: The "Minister-Teacher" Initiative

The primary objective behind having the Punjab Education Minister to teach one class in school every week is to instill a culture of empathy, direct accountability, and absolute transparency in the sector. By stepping into the shoes of a public school educator, the minister will gain immediate insights into infrastructural deficits, student engagement levels, and curriculum delivery issues.

According to government spokespersons, this hands-on approach is expected to:

• Eliminate bureaucratic sugarcoating by allowing the minister to witness real classroom dynamics.

• Boost the morale of thousands of government school teachers who feel disconnected from top-tier policy decisions.

• Provide an ongoing, weekly field evaluation of the quality of education being delivered under the current regime.

4.3 Million Student Enrollment Milestone Achieved

During the comprehensive review meeting, administrative heads presented a landmark progress report regarding student retention and admissions. The briefing confirmed that Punjab has successfully achieved a massive target of enrolling 4.3 million students in government schools within a span of just two years and four months.

This accomplishment stands as the highest genuine student enrollment influx recorded in the history of the province's public sector education system. Officials attributed this dramatic surge to aggressive community outreach campaigns, improved basic facilities in schools, and targeted public trust-building initiatives led by the school education department.

Financial Empowerment: Digital Salaries for 138,000 PEF Teachers

In a major stride toward financial transparency and anti-corruption measures, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif declared digital payment mandatory for all educators operating under the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) banner.

This structural shift completely eliminates obsolete, manual cash-handling practices that historically exposed vulnerable teachers to delays and illegal salary deductions by third-party contractors. The move guarantees that every educator receives their hard-earned compensation directly, securely, and strictly on time.

Regulating Private Academies: Digital Mapping of Tuition Centres

Addressing the unregulated commercialization of secondary education, the Chief Minister instructed the formulation of a comprehensive framework for the digital mapping of tuition centres across all districts of Punjab. Furthermore, the meeting ordered an immediate technological overhaul of the existing digital mechanism for registration of private schools .

By executing rigorous digital mapping, the provincial government intends to closely monitor academic standards, verify the safety and infrastructure of commercial academies, and ensure that private coaching setups comply with provincial tax regulations and curriculum requirements.

Driving Sustainable Funding: Innovative Revenue Generation

Recognizing that large-scale structural change demands robust financing, the Chief Minister directed the School Education Department to formulate a resilient strategy focused on innovative revenue generation . Rather than relying entirely on conventional provincial budget allocations, the department has been tasked with leveraging public-private partnerships, asset optimization, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) avenues to fund modern infrastructural upgrades.

These generated funds will be funneled directly back into the Smart Schools Project , accelerating the installation of interactive digital boards, stable high-speed internet connections, and advanced science laboratories in rural and underserved districts across South and Central Punjab.

Rebalancing Public Perception

The decision comes at a critical juncture for the provincial leadership. Recently, statements regarding administrative loopholes in public institutions sparked a wave of social media backlash from the teaching fraternity. By actively sending the School Education Minister directly to the chalkboard on a weekly basis, the government is making a visible effort to repair relationships with public educators, showing a willingness to share the heavy lifting of classroom management.

With ambitious targets aligned for the coming years—including complete digital equity, modernized teacher upskilling cycles, and zero out-of-school children by 2030—this proactive strategy signifies a dramatic departure from standard desk-bound policymaking, steering Punjab toward a highly accountable model of public service delivery.