Federal Minister Planning, Development & Reform Ahsan Iqbal said that government places human resource development on priority and will launch a national level enrolment campaign this year to ensure hundred percent enrolment of school-going children by 2018. Prime Minister and all Chief Ministers will lead this campaign to show strong commitment to the education. He stated this while talking to Ms. Joanna Reid, Head of Department for International Development (DFID) Pakistan, who called on him at Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform.
Ahsan Iqbal appreciated the contribution of DFID in education and governance fields of Pakistan and held the view that country would welcome more DFID’s contributions in these fields in future. He said that education is part of its 4Es pledged in PML-N manifesto, which includes education, energy, economy and fighting extremism. Vision-2025 lays great emphasis on human resource development and education is the key to produce quality human resource in the country. Though, education is a devolved sector under 18th amendment, but federal government has a key role for coordination among federating units and maintaining national standards in the country. Minister also briefed about the major initiatives taken in the education sector to revolutionize it. We have launched National Curriculum Reforms, Examination System Reforms and Transformational Teacher Training initiatives for bringing radical changes in the education sector. Government also approved a project promote non-education in the country Ahsan Iqbal said that government is working to provide accessibility to higher education at district level by setting up the universities’ campuses in every district of the country. For this expansion programme of higher education, we need ten thousand Phds in next ten years. We have initiated work on US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor to produce ten thousands Phds to meet the growing faculty needs in the year to come. He also called upon DFID to help the country for thrashing out similar arrangement with United Kingdom to give Pakistani scholars greater access to UK universities.
Ahsan Iqbal also briefed about civil service reforms agenda of the government and said that this time these reforms are civil servants led to ensure their buy in, which will make them successful. Ms. Joanna Reid appreciated the efforts of government in education and governance fields and assured every possible help in education and governance sector initiatives.
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