Need stressed to counter dropout trend in education

Speakers emphasised the need for taking steps to counter dropout trend in educational institutes and to pay special focus on education in children and youth. There are 70 million people across the country, who are either under the age of 17 or have dropped out in matriculation.
Addressing a certificate distribution ceremony of the veterinary diploma holders at new Senate Hall, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Major General Muhammad Ali (Retd) Chief Executive Officer Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board said the Punjab government is launching a project to recruit 2,000 women livestock extension workers and inseminators on contract basis in a couple of days.
He said the Punjab needs 16,000 livestock inseminators but there is a deficiency of 12,000 inseminators in the province as 3,000 among these are self-employee and 992 are working as government employees. He said that his board would send 500 persons to the university for training.
Inam-ul-Haq said that such courses help the capacity building. There is a need to expedite the efforts to promote education in the society, and the continuing education plays a vital role in this regard. He said that a massive project should be initiated to train at least 4,000 persons in this regard.
Professor Dr Muhammad Ashfaq hailed the steps being taken on the part of continuing education dept and termed it a step toward progress. He said that it is a need of the hour to train the labour force and transfer the knowledge to the community. Floating the idea of promoting the cultivation of Moringa, a plant, he said according to Nasa, the plant is a plant of 21st century. He said that Moringa has 7 times more vitamin C than orange. It has 4 times more vitamin calcium than milk.
He also highlighted other feature of the plant including use as food, bio-fuel and other. He also stressed the need to adopt measure as the forest in Pakistan has reduced to five percent. Professor Dr Tanvir Ali stressed the need to increase the literacy rate to meet the challenges confronting the country. He urged the agricultural scientists to do more to meet the requirement of the agriculture of the country.
Professor Dr Mehmood Ahmed Randhawa informed the audience about the diploma and said that the people with Matric (science group) were selected for the diploma aimed at increasing livestock production in the country. He said the batch completed the diploma a couple of days ago and all the students have started earning handsome amount that is an achievement. At the end, the all diploma holders were given tool kit related to their profession.
The ceremony was arranged by Department of Continuing Education, UAF. Chief Executive Officer Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board Major General Muhammad Ali (Retd) was chief guest and Deputy Secretary MINFA Inam-ul-Haq was the guest of honour.
Faculty of Agriculture Dean Professor Dr Muhammad Ashfaq, Division of Education and Extension Director Professor Dr Tanvir Ali and Department of Continuing Education Chairman Professor Dr Mehmood Ahmed Randhawa also addressed on the occasion.
As many as 30 students hailing from various districts including Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodhar and Azad Jammu Kashmir are trained under the one-year diploma in veterinary sciences and they were given Rs 2,500 as stipend per month during their course of studies under the Crop Maximisation Project II.