ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said that Pakistan is currently facing various challenges in the education sector and the government is fully committed to resolving these challenges.
Shafqat said that the various challenges include bringing the out-of-school children to schools, establishing a uniform education system and curriculum, ensuring quality education and working on skill development. He said that education is the topmost priority of the PTI government.
He expressed these views during his meeting with a British delegation led by British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew who called on him on Tuesday.
Head of Department for International Development (DFID) Joanna Reid and British Council Pakistan Director Rosemary Hilhorst was in the delegation.
“We are working on making a comprehensive education policy that will address these challenges, will ensure quality education and will provide level playing field and equal opportunities to everyone”, he added.
He further said that a special programme for street children will also be introduced. The education minister said that although most powers and functions of education ministry after the 18th Amendment have been devolved to provinces, the federal education ministry will try to take a lead role in setting a direction and work in coordination with provincial governments for introducing positive changes.
He informed the delegation that the federal education ministry and its attached departments will also be organised in such a way that they will be reflective of Pakistan’s priorities in the education sector.
The minister informed the delegation that Prime Minister Imran Khan has set up a National Task Force on Education to address these challenges and a very fruitful first meeting of the task force was held yesterday. The task force is further divided into sub-groups and each group is assigned one task each to deliberate upon and give their recommendations to the minister.
He further said that the government’s main focus will also be on skill development and human development. “Vocational and technical training is must and we are in the process of setting up skill universities,” he said.
The British high commissioner appreciated the steps the government intends to take for the promotion of education and offered help and support in this regard and said that they were looking forward to working closely with the government for the progress and prosperity of the people of Pakistan and for the promotion of education in the country. He pointed out that the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan is a big problem and assured his all-out support.
DFID head Joanna Reid stated that education is of utmost importance and DFID has worked with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab governments in the education sector. DFID will share its experiences and lessons learned with the education ministry which may be helpful in bringing out-of-school children to schools.
British Council Pakistan Director Rosemary Hilhorst appreciated the present government for their social welfare agenda and putting education on the top. She said that the British Council has been working in Pakistan for the promotion of education for almost 70 years now. She assured Shafqat of full support of British Council in the promotion of education in Pakistan.
