Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that without eliminating illiteracy and ignorance, the dream of putting the country on the path to progress and prosperity cannot be materialised. He was addressing a meeting held to review the recommendations regarding National Education Policy 2009 at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here Saturday.
He said that despite evolving a number of polices for the improvement of education sector during last 62 years, the condition of education sector was pathetic, the main reason of which was lack of commitment and spirit for which both bureaucracy and politicians were responsible.
He said that the present government had taken revolutionary measures for the improvement of education sector, which would only be fruitful when implemented in letter and spirit. He said that the process of recruitment of 34000 educators on merit throughout the province would be completed during next week and this was an unprecedented example of recruitment of teachers made only on the basis of merit. He said that the project to establish computer labs in more than 4000 schools of the province would be completed by the end of next month.
Provincial Minister for Education Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Member National Assembly Saira Afzal Tarar, Member Provincial Assembly Zaib Jaffar, Chaudhry Mumtaz Ahmad Jajja, Chairman Taskforce Raja Muhammad Anwar, Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary Schools, Higher Education and Literacy as well as educationists and other senior officers concerned attended the meeting.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab government had given top priority to education and measures had been taken in consultation with teachers, students, parents and educationists for the improvement of education sector, provision of incentives to hardworking and capable teachers and encouragement of talented students. He said that despite all resources and efforts, the desired results cold not be achieved in education sector during the last 62 years while the countries having less resources made great progress through bringing revolution in educational sector due to their commitment, spirit and dedication.
Quoting the example of Sri Lanka, Iran and Bangladesh, the Chief Minister said that these countries had improved education sector through their sincere efforts. He said that they could move ahead only by implementing the policy evolved for the betterment of education sector in the real sense.
He said that government was implementing a comprehensive strategy for the improvement of educational standard for which special attention was being paid to the training of teachers and incentives had been announced for the hardworking teachers in this regard. He said that five billion rupees had been allocated for up-gradation of schools in the province while four billion rupees was being spent on the provision of basic facilities in the schools.
He said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund had been set up first time in the history of the country and 5000 scholarships had so far been given to talented male and female students from this fund. He said that project of setting up of Danish schools had been initiated for providing latest educational facilities in far flung and backward areas of the province so that students of these areas by acquiring education like the children of privileged class, could achieve a high place in the society.
Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that promotion of vocational training was of paramount importance for the speedy development of the country and for this purpose, Punjab government had further activated TEVTA and skilled manpower was being prepared while keeping in view the demands of the market. He stressed upon the need that drop out students should be motivated towards technical educational institutions so that by becoming skilled by which they could not only earn livelihood for their families but also play their active in the construction and development of the country.
The Chief Minister said that a comprehensive strategy should also be adopted to reduce the drop out rate. The Chief Minister said that he was thankful to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani who had included the recommendations of Punjab government for National Educational Policy 2009.
Earlier, Secretary Schools, Higher Education and Literacy presented detailed recommendations for National Educational Policy 2009. He informed that Punjab government was already taking solid measures for the improvement of education sector and for this purpose not only scales of the teachers had been upgraded but incentives had also been announced for the hardworking teachers.