Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the government's commitment to providing equal educational opportunities to children from economically disadvantaged families. He made these remarks while presiding over the first meeting of the Daanish Authority Board in the capital.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister highlighted that Daanish Schools are being established to offer merit-based admission and quality education to deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds. He instructed relevant authorities to ensure that all under-construction Daanish Schools are completed within the stipulated timeframe and provide full boarding facilities for students at both new and existing campuses.

Additionally, Shehbaz Sharif directed the incorporation of information technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies into the Daanish Schools curriculum. This initiative is to be in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology. He also emphasized the inclusion of project-based, skill-based, and personality development courses in the curriculum.

The meeting revealed that 29 Daanish Schools have been proposed nationwide. Out of these, 15 projects have received approval, with work currently underway on 13 schools. Classes have already commenced at the Daanish School in Kuri, Islamabad. The construction of Daanish Schools in Bagh and Bhimber in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ghanche, Sultanabad, and Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan, is expected to be completed by December this year, with classes slated to begin in April next year.

In the meeting, the Board approved the establishment of an international-standard Teachers Training Institute for Daanish Schools, intended to serve as a model for teacher training across Pakistan. The Board also gave in-principle approval to the Daanish Schools Authority Rules and sanctioned the transfer of all land allocated for Daanish Schools to the Daanish Schools Authority.

The Prime Minister also instructed that the Authority's administrative structure remain lean and cost-effective, reflecting the government's dedication to efficient resource utilization.