Literacy rate in Pakistan reached 60 percent for the first time in country's history, however, 6 million children (up to 5th) and 24 million (up to 12th grade) are still out of schools, which is unfortunate. This was stated by the Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Engineer Muhammad Baligh-Ur-Rehman while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training which met with Dr Amirullah Marwat in the chair here on Tuesday.
The minister said that after 2013, provincial and federal governments gave special focus on education. Though the GDP base is small, however, contrary to the 15 percent UN standard, provincial governments earmarked 28-30 percent of the budgets for education.
The minister further said that in 2012-13, about 6.7 million children were out of schools which were brought down to 6 million. Net Enrollment Rate was 68 percent in 2012-13 which has been increased to 72 percent, while up to 12th grade, 26 million children were out of schools which were brought down to 24 million. However, he said that 40 percent of the population is still illiterate which is very unfortunate.
The minister said that an Act is in formulation process to make Quranic education compulsory in all public schools and after legislation would be made compulsory for private schools as well coming under the federal government. Provinces have also been advised to make Quranic education compulsory. However, it is not included for marks in examinations.
He said that Nazria Quran would be taught from grade one to grade 5 and proper Quranic education with translation would be taught to students of grade six to grade 12 in all public schools. The Executive Director National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) informed the committee that Planning and Development Ministry has withdrawn the project designed for imparting technical education to the neglected and backward areas of the country. He said that in the current financial year about 9,000 students were given technical education under this PSDP project, however, for the upcoming financial year no allocation has been made. The committee recommended the government to restore the project.
The Executive Director (NAVTTC) briefed the committee on the vision, mission, role, functions and achievements of the NAVTTC. He informed that under National Skills Strategy-2009 now they have shifted from supply driven to demand driven trainings. He further informed that the government has imposed cut on PSDP of the NAVTTC development programmes which is injustice with the NAVTTC and requested the Committee to recommend the federal government to restore the PSDP of NAVTTC and release the required budget in time to continue the trainings programmes across the country, which was endorsed by the Committee.
The minister said that federal government is of the view the number of Prime Minister Youth Skill Development has increased from 25,000 to 50,000 and this is why the NAVTTC programme was cut. However, the committee recommended that this programme was designed for the marginalized and under developed areas and should be restored.
While giving briefing on the merging of National Training Bureau with NAVTTC, he apprised the Committee that in principal it has already been decided by the federal government to merge the NTB with NAVTTC and to convert the NTB into Center of Excellency. The Director General Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) briefed the Committee on its role and functions and achievements in detail. The Committee strongly recommended the federal government to increase the salary of teachers of BECS schools from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 on priority basis. The Committee further recommended the federal government to release the PSDP funding to BECS in time in the coming year.