ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday called for the registration of around 26 million out-of-school children in the country through harsh measures such as an education emergency, double shifts in educational institutions, and the use of the mosque for teaching purposes.
The president, speaking at a ceremony commemorating World Education Day, also proposed a method to involve freshly graduated and intermediate students in teaching out-of-school youngsters by paying them a salary.
Furthermore, he pushed for the promotion of online education, as well as the extension of facilities to doctors, engineers, and skilled personnel in the country, in order to dissuade them from leaving overseas.
He said the alarming statistic of 26 million out-of-school children was concerning for the country and cited other countries such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, where children were enrolled at 98 to 100 percent.
He emphasized the significance of educating youngsters in order to generate a skilled and qualified workforce rather than just laborers.
The president praised the contributions of the partner groups and stated that the country should use their services for the benefit of future generations.
He reminded the audience that approximately 55,000 schools had been established since Pakistan’s founding, and that enrolling out-of-school children required an additional 50,000 schools, which was incredibly challenging given the provinces’ education budgets. To deal with such a situation, out-of-the-box solutions were essential.
He reiterated his offer to use the mosque’s platform as a learning center, stating that the prayer sites were supplied with all necessary amenities such as power and clean drinking water. He noted that the platform can be used to teach out-of-school youngsters at different times, including males and girls, at separate mosques.
President Alvi praised the Benazir Income Support Programme for its benefits to the health of children and mothers, and proposed linking financial aid to out-of-school enrollment.
He praised the measures taken to help the suffering children, citing the country’s Dyslexia sickness ratio of 15-20 percent.
The president also stated that enrollment in higher education after intermediate was approximately 10-12 percent in Pakistan, compared to 24 percent in neighboring nations.
Calling for the growth of online education, he stated that the Allama Iqbal Open University could now be utilized to teach out-of-school youngsters because admissions had increased significantly.
He stated that the country’s educated and professional labor was moving abroad due to a lack of opportunity, necessitating the creation of facilities for them.
The event was attended by Federal Education Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, Special Secretary Mohiyuddin Wani, Director General of Pakistan Institute of Education Dr Muhammad Shahid Saroya, President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ahsan Bakhtawari, Head of Allahwala Trust Shahid Anwar, and representatives from USAID, UNICEF, UNECSO, and JAICA.
