Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said the government intends to promote education at grassroots level, not only to help strengthen country's development but control extremist views among the new generation. He was addressing the medal awarding ceremony of the students who bagged position in the Secondary School examinations of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) at the PM Secretariat.
The Prime Minister said the ongoing fight against terrorists depicted the government's motive to promote education to crush the elements who stopped the girls from attending schools. "We want our children to have books in their hands rather than weapons and handcuffs," Gilani said, adding that there was a need to educate the young generation to avoid them fall into the prey of terrorism and extremism.
The Prime Minister said the government gave priority to education sector particularly the professional education and was working on a new policy based on advanced knowledge and high quality standards. He said the government wanted to provide ample opportunities to the students where they could explore their potential, with teachers earning due status in the society. "We want our educational institutions to become a cradle of knowledge and wisdom in real terms," he said. Gilani also highlighted the importance of inculcating Islamic education to the students which could prove as a guideline in the current circumstances.
He said the private sector would be encouraged to bring improvement in the education sector. He said education is a platform that takes the nation to the path of development. The Prime Minister lauded the students who achieved positions in the SSC annual examinations and congratulated their teachers and parents for their efforts.
He also announced to provide three buses for the employees of FBISE on the demand of Education Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani. Education Minister Bijrani said the Pakistan People's Party government always gave priority to the education sector. He said the government believed that without education, the nation would not be able to achieve development.
Earlier, Chairperson FBISE Shaheen Khan gave an overview about the results of SSC annual examination. She said in 2009, the overall success rate in examinations was 81.77 percent, with 85.96 percent in science and 65.97 percent in humanities group. Prime Minister Gilani gave medals, certificates and cash prizes to the students who bagged positions and also inquired about problems faced by them in terms of educational standard and availability of facilities at schools.