KARACHI: Caretaker  Minister for Education and Professional Training Madad Ali Sindh urged all political parties to prioritize education and governance agenda in their election manifestos for next five years to improve quality of education in country. We need to focus on developing educational infrastructure, improving learning system, framing sustainable policy and initiatives as well as ensuring training of teachers and enrollment of out of school children to achieve objectives of quality education for all, he underscored.

Expressing views presiding over meetings on visit to regional offices of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Inter board Coordination Commission (IBCC) here he visited different sections of regional offices where he received briefing on working, role, functions and issues being faced and future strategies of organisations.

Madad Ali observed that over 25 million out of school children, dilapidated condition of public sector educational institutions, disconnection between teachers and parents, non-utilisation of earmarked funds and other issues indicate that education sector could not get proper attention of political parties in past and remained excluded from their manifestos while bureaucracy also failed to play positive role in regard. Now it has been inevitable that whichever political party comes into power after upcoming general elections must dedicate its five year term to improve education in Pakistan as it was only option for development of country, he maintained and emphasized that people should also urge their representatives for taking measures in regard.

Minister said that during short tenure of caretaker government, he had adopted proactive approach to improve educational standards and deal with issues and 20 out of 50 schools of federal capital were selected for reforms. Those educational institutes were being transformed as model schools with provision of missing facilities and improvement of their management, he said and added that caretaker government was also focusing on universities and boards and measures were taken to resolve their issues while chairmen of educational boards were directed to improve system and ensure transparency in examination and assessment processes by utilising modern digital technologies.

He expressed concerns on issues of drug abuse and harassment in educational institutions and said that government was taking steps to do away with issues but there should be close coordination between parents and teachers and teaching faculty keep an eye on students and their behaviours to help overcoming such issues.

He emphasised on comprehensive policy, coordinated efforts and joint initiatives by federal and provincial government for educational improvement and said following 18th Constitutional Amendment, education sector has been devolved to provinces.

Earlier, Executive Director IBCC Prof. Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah briefed him that one window procedure and online system for verification was functional in IBCC and it had facilitated students to great extent.

Assistant Regional Director AIOU Karachi office, Zulfiqar Ali Zardari briefed that 56 campuses of Allama Iqbal Open University were functional around country and there was need of more campuses to cater number of students.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 27 2024

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