TOBA TEK SINGH: Unicef has selected 1,146 Toba Tek Singh schools for its early childhood education (ECE) project.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashood Ahmad said this at a gathering of teachers and people at Government Women Degree College`s auditorium on Thursday at the inauguration of the first phase of the project.

He said that in the first phase, 300 such schools would be established in the district and it was a matter of pride that of the 1,225 schools, Toba`s share was 1,146 alone.

Punjab Directorate of Staff Development Director Ehsan Bhutta said that under the ECE programme, an interactive learning environment would be created for toddlers (3-5 years) to reduce high dropout rate in early classes.

He added that early childhood was the most critical period in a child`s education, and played an important role in his mentalTOBA TEK SINGH: Unicef has selected 1,146 Toba Tek Singh schools for its early childhood education (ECE) project.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashood Ahmad said this at a gathering of teachers and people at Government Women Degree College`s auditorium on Thursday at the inauguration of the first phase of the project.

He said that in the first phase, 300 such schools would be established in the district and it was a matter of pride that of the 1,225 schools, Toba`s share was 1,146 alone.

Punjab Directorate of Staff Development Director Ehsan Bhutta said that under the ECE programme, an interactive learning environment would be created for toddlers (3-5 years) to reduce high dropout rate in early classes.

He added that early childhood was the most critical period in a child`s education, and played an important role in his mentaland physical development. He said that such classrooms would decorated with paintings with some themes of joyful learn-ing of children while teachers and headteachers would be given special teaching training for the purpose. He said it was infact the vision of the chief minister to minimise the dropout of the school going children as after class three 56 percent of the childrenleft the schools.

Unicef representative Rubina Nadeem said Unicef would spend Rs93.200 million on the project in the district while Toba district government will contribute Rs43 million to the project.

District Coordination Officer Waqas Alam said he had proposed the expansion of the programme to the primary level also and he would provide all required funds for the proposed expansion.

After the ceremony, the minister announced the regularisation of the services of 50,000 educators of government schools in Punjab who had recently completed tenure of two year contract of their service.

He criticised Pakistan Tehreek Insaf chief Imran Khan for changing his statements and said that he always levelled baseless charges of rigging regarding 2013 general election for which he had no proof.