ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Education Ministry will soon launch a Nationwide Literacy Campaign to increase the literacy rate by at least 12 percent in four years, the Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said.
“We are thinking of declaring an Education Emergency and will go to Cabinet for Concept clearance and support in couple of weeks”, the minister said that while talking to a high level delegation of Ufone in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Shafqat Mahmood said that education is the top priority of this government. He said that our main targets are bringing the 25 million out of school children to schools, introducing a uniform education system and curriculum, providing Quality Education and Skill development.
The federal minister informed the delegation that the National Literacy Drive will be a mega campaign in which about 5000 Adult literary & Skill Centers will be setup in each district of Pakistan, special accelerated learning syllabus will be introduced and a National Literacy Coordination Center will be setup.
“We are planning to engage all the stakeholders including District Administration, Business Community and chambers of commerce and industry, Universities and Colleges’ students, Benazir Income Support Program and our own attached organizations I-e Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD)”, he added.
The education minister said that a special communication campaign will also be launched before and during the implementation of the Literacy Campaign.
The minister said that technology will play a major role in the aforementioned four targets and in the National Literacy Drive to resolve the access and capacity issues.
“The Ufone must develop and come up with some technological solutions and interventions that can be used in National Literacy Campaign and resolving issues of quality, access and capacity in Education”, Shafqat Mahmood said.
The Ufone delegation briefed Shafqat Mahmood about the organization and activities of Ufone in general and the technological interventions of Etisalat and Ufone in Education Sector in particular.
The delegation appreciated the efforts of the education ministry and the vision of federal education minister and agreed to come up with technological solutions in the next meeting.
