Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the federal government with the collaboration of provincial governments would launch education campaign on April 1, 2016 to ensure the enrolment of every child in school.
The minister said this while addressing a news conference after a meeting with provincial representatives on national enrolment drive, here. He said that the government is determined to spend 4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education by 2018. The minister said 100 percent enrolment of children in school at primary level would be ensured. He said that for this purpose not only federal and provincial governments but the whole nation needs to work together to achieve this goal.
"We will prepare framework till March 22 and launch education campaign for national enrolment drive from first April," he said. The minister said that the letters would be written to all the chief ministers within seven days and a meeting would be held at chief ministers' level. He said that at every district, District Co-ordination Officer and District Education Officer (DEO) would cooperate with each other to make the campaign successful at every district. "In this campaign, federal and provincial education ministers, Higher Education Commission, students of universities, media and civil society would play their role.
The students of universities will go to rural areas to educate the students, we should also involve National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in the campaign," Ahsan Iqbal said. The minister said that very soon, the Prime Minister would hold meeting with the chief ministers on this issue. He said that ministers and the members of opposition parties should also participate in this meeting to give their proposals. He said that concession should be given to the children for their enrolment and to arrange non-formal schools for adults.
Answering to a question, Ahsan Iqbal said the Pakistan government and the United States are discussing ways and means to get 10,000 Pakistani PhD students trained in American universities. He said that the government has drawn a roadmap to train 10,000 PhDs scholars in different areas including science, technology, engineering, Maths as well as in the social sciences for the country's development and growth. He said the government is allocating funds from its own resources for developing the PhD programs.
"We are working and discussing with US universities and the administration, the ways and means of partnership through which we can leverage our own resources and maximise the value to have our goal of 10,000 PhDs get trained in US universities in the next 10 years," the minister said.
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