Parliamentary Secretary Barrister Danyal Chaudhry underlined a renewed focus on inclusive, child-centred learning at a roundtable hosted by Cities for Children with support from the Malala Fund. The event, Inspired Education Investing in Creative Strategies to Reduce Dropout, convened policymakers, practitioners and development partners to discuss practical ways to ensure children not only enroll but remain and thrive in school.
Barrister Danyal spoke alongside MNA Ms. Shaista Pervez Malik and Parliamentary Secretary for Education Ms. Rabia Naseem Farooqi, stressing that the education drive in NA-57 targets both access and quality. He detailed a campaign aiming to enroll 39,000 out-of-school children in FY 2026, noting that 5,000 children were enrolled within weeks of the launch as early momentum for the initiative.
The constituency’s investments include PKR 205 million for school infrastructure, alongside a rapid rollout of technology in classrooms. Local efforts have established 33 Matric-Tech Schools, 29 computer labs and upgraded laboratories in 434 high schools and 10 elementary schools. Twenty schools have been digitalized in partnership with the DIL Foundation and 100 schools are being solarized to improve facilities and learning conditions.
Barrister Danyal highlighted targeted programmes to boost girls’ participation and skills, including makeup and designing classes now offered at four girls’ schools and vocational links at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Dheri Hassanabad, which has been developed as a modern facility. Teacher development is being supported through the Easte English teacher training project, while Rawalpindi Division’s top performance in a provincial STEAM competition was cited as evidence of the value of hands-on learning.
Inclusion measures form a central strand of the education drive, with two district schools established for transgender students currently enrolling around 100 learners. An early morning school model has been introduced to accommodate children engaged in agricultural work, ensuring flexible access to education. The roundtable also highlighted the need for playful learning, socio-emotional development and positive discipline to improve children’s everyday experience in school.
Representatives from the education ministry, the non-formal sector, BISP and JICA joined discussions that emphasized gender-responsive strategies to build girls’ confidence and a sense of belonging. Participants agreed that strengthening children’s experiences in class is as important as expanding enrollment figures for sustainable impact.
These constituency-level measures sit within a broader Punjab government agenda under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, which includes mobile School on Wheels and Library on Wheels units, the Honhaar Scholarship Program supporting more than 25,000 students annually, laptop and IT hub schemes across the province, a school nutrition programme, transport buses for 60 women’s colleges and 28 Centres of Excellence offering therapy and vocational training for special students. Together these interventions aim to translate the education drive into lasting gains for learners across NA-57 and the wider region.
