The Senate Standing Committee on Education, Scientific and Technological Research has called upon the Ministry of Education to lay focus on evaluating its various programmes initiated under primary education, literacy and non-formal education and education for all sectors, and urged to exploit new technologies for unemployed youths.
The Committee which met in the Parliament House here on Thursday with Senator Mrs Rozina Slam Khan in the Chair observed effective monitoring system was the key to evaluate success or failure of a project.
This observation was made by the Committee while having a briefing from Science and Technology Wing and Education for All Wing on their working and performance.
The committee was informed that 76 polytechnic institutes have been established in the country and the government plans to establish two polytechnic institutes, one for male and the other for female students, in each district of the country.
In reply to a question, the committee was informed that three polytechnic institutes in Balochistan would be set up this year, one each at Turbat, Khuzdar and Gwadar.
It was further informed that a polytechnic institute for boys at Islamabad was under construction and would be ready by the end of the year.
The members of the committee were of the view that polytechnic institutes were too short of our requirements and more technical institutes should be set up in the country.
The members strongly advocated the need to exploit new technologies for the benefit of unemployed or semi-literate youths.
The committee was informed the government had set up a 26 Member National Scientific Advisory Committee to provide policy guidelines for the promotion of science education in the country.
Moreover, a 22 Member National Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Training had been constituted to devise strategies for bridging the gap between the technical, vocational and higher education for the students and also to devise ways and means for enhanced linkage and effective co-ordination between Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Institutions and the Industry so as not only to make VET responsive to the market needs but also to minimise gap between training and employment.
The members of the committee, while having a briefing on "Education for All" programme pointed out, the Federal Government under the Constitution was responsible for eradication of illiteracy and provision of free and compulsory education up to secondary level within minimum possible time.
The members of the committee were of the view that education, in general, and education for all plan, in particular, must be given top priority by the government and objectives of the plan could be achieved for the development of education sector.
There was a general consensus that literacy rate in the country was very low and that a co-ordinated motivational and awareness campaign should be launched through the print and electronic media to get the desired results.
The meeting was attended, besides the Chairperson of the Committee Senator Mrs Rozina Slam Khan by Senators, Mrs Tahira Latif, Dr Mrs Nighat Agha, Mrs Tanveer Khalid, Professor Muhammad Saeed Siddiqui, Mrs Nighat Mirza, Mrs Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, Dr Muhammad Said, Maulvi Agha Muhammad, Professor Sajid Mir Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Ms Kausar Parveen.
Ministry of Education Secretary Sajid Hassan and senior officers of Ministry of Education were also present.