ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the government would achieve the target of 100 per cent enrollment of children in schools by 2017-18.
This would be a step towards attaining 100 per cent litercay rate in the country, said the minister addressing a ceremony held at Karlot Residential College here in connection with the International Literacy Day (September 8).
Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan was among few countries with large number of children out of school. The government, therefore, had announced education emergency to achieve the targets set by Education for All and Millennium Development Goals (MDG). For the purpose, it earmarked Rs 12.5 billion for education in the budget 2014-15.
"All children will be enrolled at schools while an exemplary curriculum prepared to make them creative and innovative," he added.
He also reiterated the government's resolve to make the country one of the top 10 economies countries of the world by 2047.
Ahsan Iqbal said this year's literacy day theme "Literacy and Sustainable Development" means "we should utilize all natural resources, including water and environment, with responsibility so that our next generations should also get benefitted from the same.".
The minister advised the school children to set a target and work hard to achieve it. By doing so, they could contribute towards the development of the country.
He also asked the media to play its role in highlihting Pakistan's image as a responsible country, which was working hard to attain high education standards.
Speaking on the occasion, Nafeesa Khattak, Member of the National Assembly, urged the government to increase budget allocation for primary and secondary schools to increase enrollment.
President of Private Schools Network Dr Afzal Babar said the purpose of commemorating the Internation Literacy Day was to convey a message to the international community that the Pakistan Government was giving special attention to the education sector.
He urged the government to support private schools so that children belonging to poor and lower middle class could also get maximum educational benefits.
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