- Counts govt’s feats launched to reduce dropout rate and encourage every child to complete education
- President Zardari renews government’s commitment to make education accessible to all
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday declared an education emergency across the country on International Literacy Day, urging the private sector and civil organisations to join hands with the government.
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing the education agenda, striving for a more informed and sustainable nation,” the prime minister said in a message on International Literacy Day.
“For this purpose, we have declared an educational emergency across the country, launched an enrollment campaign for students, and initiated mid-day meals for children in schools,” he stated.
“Literacy is a fundamental human and constitutional right that guarantee the future of our country,” he said, going on to define literacy as not merely the ability to read and write, but rather a “gateway to empowerment, economic opportunities and active participation in society”.
To reduce the dropout rate and encourage every child to complete their education, the prime minister pointed out that the government had introduced scholarships and other incentives.
“In this rapidly emerging world, developing literacy and skills in line with technology is inevitable,” the premier stressed, adding that the government was implementing a comprehensive plan to integrate technology into the educational system and ensuring that the youth were equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital economy.
He said private sector and civil society organisations were equal partners in the government’s efforts.
“By establishing effective partnerships, we can link education with employment and self-employment opportunities, creating a stronger and more inclusive workforce,” he added.
International Literacy Day is observed on September 8 to remind policy-makers, practitioners, and the public of the critical importance of literacy for creating a more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.
Unesco has highlighted that the lack of access to education remains a significant barrier, as three out of four children in developing countries cannot read or comprehend a basic text by the age of 10, and there are still 754 million illiterate adults globally, two-thirds of whom are women.
Govt committed to education for all : President
In his message on occasion International Literacy Day, President Asif Ali Zardari has called for recommitting to the national cause of promoting the universal right to education.
President Asif Ali Zardari renewed the commitment of government to make education accessible to all. He said education has been declared a fundamental right in the Constitution of Pakistan under Article 25-A.
The President highlighted the government’s initiatives to overcome the challenge of illiteracy including the declaration of a National Educational Emergency, to enroll out-of-school children, the Prime Minister’s Roshan Pakistan Literacy Drive, Conditional Cash Transfers up to the higher secondary level through Benazir Taleemi Wazaif and stipends for students in all districts of Pakistan.
The President called for recommitting to the national cause of promoting the universal right to education. In his message, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said the government is pursuing a comprehensive plan to integrate technology in education with an aim to equip youth with skills for the digital economy.
