Education Reforms in 2024: Achievements of Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan

The year 2024 was a game-changer for education in Punjab. Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan led remarkable reforms, including breaking the cheating mafia, introducing IT courses, expanding the Zewar-e-Taleem program, launching the e-transfer policy, and converting commerce colleges into e-commerce institutions.

2024: A Year of Education Reforms in Punjab
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan declared 2024 as the year of educational reforms. He shared the performance report highlighting the major milestones achieved during his tenure, saying, “Our 10 months’ work can easily be compared to the 4 years of the previous government.”

Here are the key achievements of the Punjab Education Department under his leadership in 2024:

Major Achievements of 2024

1. Cost-Effective Textbooks
   Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan reduced the cost of publishing textbooks from PKR 13 billion (during the PTI era) to less than PKR 6 billion.
2. Crackdown on Cheating Mafia
   The “booti mafia” (cheating mafia) was successfully dismantled, ensuring fair examinations across the province.
3. Free IT Courses for Youth
   With Google’s partnership, a plan was launched to provide free IT-certified courses to 300,000 youth in Punjab.
4. Focus on Out-of-School Children
   A targeted campaign was launched to enroll out-of-school children in schools.
5. Zewar-e-Taleem Program
   Under this initiative, female students were given scholarships worth PKR 2.1 billion.
6. Expansion of Technical Education
   The scope of technical education was expanded in schools to better equip students with modern skills.
7. School Nutrition Program
   For 400,000 malnourished children in South Punjab, a School Nutrition Program was introduced.
8. Access to Higher Education
   Initiatives like scholarships and the laptop scheme were reintroduced to make higher education accessible to all.
9. Transport and Scooty Scheme for Girls
   Bus services and a scooty scheme were launched to facilitate female students’ transportation.
10. Adult Literacy
    A renewed focus was placed on adult literacy programs across Punjab.
11. Introduction of E-Transfer Policy
    Punjab’s first-ever e-transfer policy for teachers was introduced to ensure merit-based transfers without any favoritism.
12. NADRA Verification for Accurate Data
    To eliminate fake enrollments, NADRA verification was made mandatory for all student records.
13. Merit-Based Recruitment for Educational Posts
    For the first time, administrative educational positions such as Vice Chancellors, Directors, Principals, and CEOs were filled through exams and interviews.
14. Conversion of Commerce Colleges into E-Commerce Colleges
    In line with modern trends, commerce colleges were transformed into e-commerce colleges.
15. Monitoring Committees
    Committees were formed at the divisional level to monitor and improve school performance.
16. Low-Performing Schools Outsourced
    Low-performing schools were outsourced, and student enrollment was increased from 250,000 to over 450,000.
17. Ed-Tech Schools for Out-of-School Children
    Innovative Ed-Tech model schools were introduced for out-of-school children, ensuring access to quality education.

Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan’s leadership in 2024 brought Punjab’s education system closer to international standards. His focus on merit, transparency, and modernization reflects his vision for a brighter future for education in the province.