Experts for enhancement of education budget

Education experts at seminar have underscored the need of enhancement of education budget in the country and called for taking self-reliance initiatives to enhance literary ratio instead of relying on foreign funds in order to meet international obligations.
The seminar held under the auspices of UNESCO in collaboration with Pakistan Association for Continuing Adult Education (PACADE) in connection with World Literary Day here at Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Friday.
The key speakers included UNESCO Director Dr Kozue Kay Nagata, Chairman Inayatullah, Secretary Education Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Jadoon, Director Elementary and Secondary Education Sarwat along with education experts and others.
Speakers called upon the political leaders to lead education campaign in their respective constituencies and expressed concern for not allocation of funds to literary ratio for all projects in the country. The government should take steps on its own for enhancement of literary ratio instead of looking for foreign assistance and aid, they maintained.
Owing to lack of sufficient allocation for promotion of education, they observed that the Pakistan is lagging behind in the sector as compared to neighbouring states. Though, the government, they said, has kept focus on young generation, but youth are unable to get excellence in different fields.
They viewed that the well-educated society is put the country on path of development and progress otherwise the mission could not be accomplished to meet international obligations and MDG by end of 2015.
According to ranking of the Human Development Index report, they said that the Pakistan's position remained below amongst 160 countries regarding literary ratio over the last 60 years.
The targets have been set for "Literary for All" to meet by end of 2015 as international commitment, according to which more than 50 signatory countries would enhance 50 percent education ratio in their countries, they informed.
Speakers said Pakistan could not achieve the target, because of present education situation in the country. They said the provinces have devised separate education policies in the country, where the education institutions are lacking required facilities even teachers were also faced financial hardships in the prevailing economic condition.
More than 21 states have spending 80 percent for defence purposes in their fiscal budget; they informed and added that Pakistan is at the top amongst the countries.
They said that the free and compulsory education is the right of every child after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying that the neighbouring state India has extended the right to its people very early. Speakers have demanded of the sufficient allocation for education in fiscal budget to meet the international obligations, especially literacy for all by the end of 2015.