Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasised importance of providing quality education and technical training, highlighting growing need for skills development, information technology and digitalisation in modern educational systems.

He urged country to align its education system with these modern requirements. Chairing review meeting on Federal Ministry of Education and Technical Training, Shehbaz stated that no nation can progress without high-quality education system. He reiterated that delivering quality education and technical training is top priority for government.

He reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left out of school. He noted that an educational emergency had been declared immediately after his administration took office, underlining urgency of improving education in Pakistan.

He called for national curriculum leadership conference to implement uniform education system across country. Additionally, he directed authorities to accelerate construction of Daanish Schools in underprivileged areas such as Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan.

He ordered establishment of day-care centres in all educational institutions in Islamabad for female teachers and further instructed that e-libraries be set up in parks and recreational spots with free public access and internet.

In efforts to increase female student enrolment, Shehbaz Sharif proposed monthly stipends for female students in rural areas of Islamabad and directed that technical training be incorporated into school curriculums.

He stressed the need to provide free technical training to students who had dropped out of school and to launch awareness campaigns to encourage them to re-engage with education. He highlighted importance of teacher training, calling for top-tier teacher training institution in Islamabad and third-party audit to assess teachers’ capabilities.

During meeting, it was revealed that buses provided for student transport in 2017 had been out of service for years. He ordered an inquiry into matter. Federal Ministry of Education briefed PM on several initiatives, including providing lunch to students in Islamabad’s schools, which has led to improved enrolment.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 12 2024

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