'Pakistan may miss 100 percent literacy goal by 2015'

Speakers at a seminar on Friday expressed their fear that although Pakistan had set the goal to achieve 100 percent literacy rate by 2015, the indicators showed that it might miss the target because of poor management and low fund allocation. The seminar was organised by Literacy and Non-formal Basic Education Department in collaboration with Japanese agency JICA here at Raza Hall.
"Unfortunately Pakistan lags far behind from the goal of 100 percent literacy rate. Pakistan stands second after Afghanistan amongst the countries with the lowest GDP spending on education," revealed Amir Hussain Gull, project co-ordinator for Universal Education Programme while addressing the seminar.
He added that Pakistan is one of those five countries in the world, which could not achieve their goals set for literacy rate. "The reason is that Pakistan fails to allocate appropriate funds and resources needed for achieving this goal," he said. He maintained that the situation is reflective of the fact that how non-serious we are in uplifting education standards and literacy rate.
The seminar was also addressed by the Commissioner Multan division Muhammad Khurram Agha and a representative of JICA. M.K. Agha said that non-formal education is an important part of education policy of Punjab Government and this method is being utilised to boost literacy rate in the province.
He said that high literacy rate plays key role in development of any country and therefore a large number of non-formal institutions are set up in Multan on direction of Chief Minister. He claimed that national literacy rate rose of 58 percent because of measures like non-formal education programme.
Speaking on this occasion, JICA representative said that literacy was basic right of each citizen and Pakistan needed to offer education to illiterate besides improving the quality of education. She assured the participants that her country would continue supporting Pakistan for the promotion of basic education.
EDO Education Tahira Shafiq Chishti said that the government not only adopted important measures for the promotion of basic education under Universal Education Programme but also provided facilities to the educational institutions giving formal education to the students.