The World Bank (WB) will provide $450 million to implement a comprehensive programme aimed at improving the quality of schools across the country, said Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.
"The federal government with the help of the World Bank is bringing a comprehensive programme to improve the quality of schools. The World Bank will provide $450 million for this project and will bring all the provinces together," said the minister while addressing media persons after the 15th Inter-Provincial Ministers' Education Conference organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training here on Monday.
Mahmood said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan a syllabus is being set up which will provide equitable opportunities to everyone from English schools to seminaries and the quality would not be lower than that of the developed countries. Earlier the minister apprised the participants of the progress made so far.
He said there are 32,000 to 35,000 religious seminaries in the country for which a directorate general and sixteen offices have been set up for registration and the registration work will be completed in the next four years.
Registration of two to three thousand madrassas (seminaries) will be completed in the first year. Religious madrassas will select two teachers themselves to teach modern subject and the federal government will give an honorarium of Rs 17,000 per month.
The federal government will assist in opening seminary bank accounts and resolving foreign student visas. For this purpose, three sub-committees have been set up which will move all matters forward. The number of registration offices may be further increased in future.
Mahmood said that a uniform educational calendar has been introduced. All the educational boards would be bound to ensure the release of FA, FSc results by August 15. Further with the help of Higher Education Commission (HEC) all universities are bound to start admissions from September 15 across the country.
Mahmood said that earlier after the eighth class, there were two paths for students to choose science or arts but now there would be a third choice in the name of Matric Tech and the students who selects Matric Tech would get technical and vocational training so that children who are unable to continue their education after matriculation will be able to get employment. The minister said technical training is being provided to 200,000 children under the Federal Ministry of Education this year.
The federal minister said when the curriculum is completed, the draft will be sent to all provinces and the provincial assemblies will pass it themselves. "So we are making sure that the new curriculum and its implementation do not affect the 18th Constitutional amendment in any respect. And all provinces are moving along at every step for a broader consensus," he added.
He said the Inter-Provincial Ministers Conference also discussed issues of NCHD and BACS teachers and students, but no final decision could be made in this regard. He said that the subject of education is above politics which is why Sindh province is involved with the federal government at every step in this matter.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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