LAHORE – Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on Tuesday announced that 2025 has been designated as a year of major reforms aimed at improving the province’s education sector, unveiling a plan that the Punjab government decided to distribute laptops to thousands of students including those enrolled in private educational institutions.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said that following the momentum of last year, 2025 continues to focus on concrete measures to strengthen the education system.
He was speaking about the performance of the School Education Department on Tuesday.
The minister highlighted that one of the major achievements was the elimination of nearly two million “ghost” enrollments from schools across Punjab, which helped improve transparency and resource allocation.
Rana Sikandar Hayat stated that the rationalization of 26,000 teachers played a key role in addressing teacher shortages in various schools. He added that significant progress was made in syllabus reforms, while comprehensive examination reforms were introduced to improve assessment standards. As part of digitization efforts, all education boards in the province have been shifted to an e-marking system.
Emphasizing early learning, the education minister said the Punjab government prioritized Early Childhood Education (ECE) and established ECE rooms in 10,000 schools. He further noted that under the government’s nutrition programme, approximately 1.1 million students are being provided with nutritional support on a daily basis to improve health and learning outcomes.
According to the minister, 268 schools have been upgraded across the province, while decisions have been concluded in 37 cases related to teachers’ harassment, reflecting the government’s commitment to accountability. He also announced that 10,000 laptops will be distributed to students studying in private educational institutions, in addition to those in the public sector.
The provincial minister added that merit-based appointments have been ensured in higher education, with principals appointed in 450 colleges and the process of appointing vice chancellors in 29 universities successfully completed. He said these measures reflect the Punjab government’s resolve to improve governance, quality, and access in the education sector.
