Staff Reporter
The Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) has taken the initiative to provide education to the expatriates’ children at its educational institutions by ensuring subsidized monthly tuition fee.
The OPF effectively utilized funds of Rs102 million during tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government which came into office in August, 2018, said an official source in the foundation, while sharing initiatives of the Foundation to
support educational endeavours of Pakistani expats’ children.
Under the leadership of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, he said the OPF had taken multiple steps to ensure quality education for the children of overseas Pakistanis, who had their families back in the home country.
The official said the OPF launched an internship programme to groom the expats children professionally by ensuring their exposure to working environment.
Every year, the fresh graduates and post-graduates were being imparted trainings and productive skills under the programme, which was meant to enhance their professional capability and employability.
He said Chinese language classes had also been initiated to enrich students of OPF education system, which would eventually help them to reap benefit of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The OPF, in collaboration with the British Council, also started ‘Faculty Development Programme’ to bring qualitative change in its education system, he said while pointing out the regular participation of its schools in the British Council’s International School Awards programme during the last two years.
Under the programme, seven schools had won awards for their excellent performance at par with global educational standards, he added.
The official said the organization had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Board for Certification of Teachers to make sure professional advancement of its teaching faculty.
“After this arrangement, OPF teachers get free online access to its resources of modern teaching techniques and pedagogues leading to an internationally recognized teaching certification,” he remarked.
In collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board, he said the teachers were also imparted training about the effective use of online/digital teaching aids/content.
At the OPF educational institutions, he said, three per cent quota for disabled students had been allocated. The students with disability were also being given wheel chairs, he added.
