Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said that no nation could achieve progress and prosperity without promoting education.

He was speaking as a chief guest at a seminar and Launching of Literacy Campaign in connection with “International Literacy Day” organised here jointly by the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), and UNESCO.

He said the present government was committed to promote education and equipped the youth with technical skills for the socio and economic development of Pakistan. He said that no illiterate nation could exploit the potentials and resources of any country and remains under developed.

He stressed the need for development of infrastructure to open up the windows of opportunities and progress in the country. The minister said that Islam also stresses upon seeking knowledge and being Muslim it is our religious responsibility to acquire knowledge for the prosperity and well being off Ummah.

He said under the 18th constitutional amendment the education sector has been devolved to provinces and urged them to take steps in their respective provinces for the promotion of education. Federal government would fully supplement their efforts in this regard, he said.

He said that the government was making effort to modernise 28 education boards and make them in line with international standards for the development of the country. He said the government has given special focus on education in its vision 2025 adding said that literacy rate would be increased 90 per cent with the help of non formal educational.

Earlier, addressing the participants Minister of State for Federal Education Engr Muhammad Balighur Rahman said that the capital’s public educational institutions were being upgraded as a role model for the entire country. He said the federal government has increased the overall education budget from 500 to 800 billion for Fiscal Year 2016-17.

He said that Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) budget has also been increased from 42 to 91 billion this year. The minister said that under the vision 2025 education and economy were linked with each other as development can only be achieved through education.

He said that 3 per cent of private schools children have been moved towards public schools after initiating the reforms program in the public educational institutions. Baligh said that NCHD non-formal schools were providing in-expensive quality education in rural areas.

He also appreciated the efforts of UNESCO, AIOU and NCHD for making efforts for the provision of education in the far-flung areas of the country. The minister congratulated the NCHD chairman for initiating the program “Each One, Teach One” through which 57 million illiterate people would be given education.

Earlier, in her welcome address, NCHD Chairperson Razina Alam Khan informed the participants about the aim of seminar and efforts of the commission for the promotion of education in rural areas of the country through community schools.

She said that the program “Each One, Teach One” through which each educated citizens voluntarily would teach an illiterate person to overcome the illiteracy. This program, she said, would be launched with the support of the local body members aiming at to achieve the target of 100% literacy rate in the capital.

NCHD with its slogan, “Reading the Past, Writing the Future” will play a reading role for other institutions in this regard to fulfill the vision 2025. Speakers from NCHD, AIOU and UNESCO, also highlighted the role of their respective institutions for the promotion of education throughout the country especially in the rural areas.