Staff Reporter
Speakers at a seminar held here on Thursday called for promoting skill-based education that enable the youth to earn their livelihood and take part in the socio-economic development of the country.
The seminar, held in connection with International Literacy Day was arranged by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in collaboration with National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and JICA.
The speakers included the University’s Dean Education Professor Dr. Nasir Mahammod, Adviser JICA Chiho Ohashi, Deputy Chief Adviser JICA Abil Gill, Chairman NCHD Dr. Amirullah Marwat, President Private Schools Association Afzal Babar, Chairman Urdu Department Dr. Abdul Aziz Sehr and Chairman Distance and Non-Formal Education AIOU Dr. Muhammad Ajmal.
For achieving the stipulated targets for improving literacy rate in the country, the speakers called for redesigning the existing strategy and bringing about fundamental changes in the overall educational set-up that should attractive the youth for their better future.
While regretting that the education has still not been given due importance at the national level, the speakers underlined the need of enhancing budgetary allocation in this sector. We are much behind in literacy that they said is badly affecting the country’s economic growth.
They asserted that the government should promote the multilingual education system to provide easy and equal access to every Pakistani. This education system should be made approachable and it should also open opportunities for employment in various sectors.
Dr. Nasir Mahmood in his presidential remarks said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provides a big opportunity for engaging the country’s youth in establishing free-trade economic zones. The scope of jobs in these zones, could only be capitalized by empowering the youth with technical know-how.
The speakers also spoke about the current scenario of literacy in Pakistan. In this connection, they also deliberated upon issues, challenges and practices.
The multilingual society system in the country demands the wider use of regional languages along with the English and Urdu as medium of instruction.
