Aug 14 , 2015
News
Pakistan launches drive to improve education system
Minister says Pakistan will adopt Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 in September
APPISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said that ILM Pakistan movement has been launched with the objective to empower educational process of the country.
It will ultimately improve students' academic achievement, and attitudes towards civic responsibility, respect for diversity and tolerance. Ahsan thanked the Higher Education Commission for hosting the launch of the ILM Pakistan movement.
He said that this was the age of knowledge revolution and it was imperative to strengthen the knowledge economy in order to compete in the comity of nations. Congratulating the nation on the Independence Day, he said that freedom of knowledge and intellectual growth in society ensured real independence.
Saluting the efforts and sacrifices of the founding fathers, he said that they struggled for creation of the country despite meager resources. He mentioned Science Talent Farming Scheme for students’ endowment fund for 50,000 talented students, standardisation of examination system, National Curriculum Council and creation of knowledge corridor with partner countries as the government's commitment towards prioritising education.
"To create harmony, we have to embrace the global challenges of knowledge revolution", he said. "If we compare the conditions in which Pakistan was created to the present situation, we have all kinds of resources available for development. We see that it is much easier for us to achieve our targets provided we have self-belief, positive thinking and a future vision that provides us a road map for development," he added.
Elaborating government's Vision 2025, Ahsan Iqbal said that knowledge was an important component of this vision and the government was ensuring complete participation of academics and researchers. He said that the explosion of information was exponentially growing in the world and "unless we have the ability to innovate and embrace inventions, we will not be able to compete in the knowledge revolution". He said that through launch of ILM movement, the government would further strengthen the holistic framework for achieving knowledge objectives set in the Vision 2025.
Minister for Education and Training Baleeghur Rahman said that a brighter and safer Pakistan could only be achieved through knowledge revolution. He said the Vision 2025 provided a comprehensive road map for aligning knowledge base with socio-economic demands. He appreciated the Planning Division for taking special care of the educational development initiatives. He also mentioned successful launching of the National Curriculum Council, which was aimed at developing basic standards for curriculum development in all provinces.
The minister said Pakistan would also adopt Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 along with other nations at the United Nations in September this year, adding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will represent Pakistan on this occasion.
HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed underlined significance of knowledge for a nation's growth and appreciated the initiatives for development of education at all levels. He also mentioned the potential of Pakistani youth, which if tapped properly would take Pakistan to new heights. He said that initiatives of ILM Pakistan movement would expand across the country.
He also mentioned the government's initiative to provide access to higher education in every district, adding for that purpose strict quality assurance measures have been implemented. "The challenges that this country had faced have proven that solution to all our problems is quality education, which is not limited to major cities but reaches every corner of the country," he said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk