Education is the only way forward for Pakistan: Rana Mashud

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan has said that education is the only way forward for Pakistan. We can bring the country out of morass of ignorance through promotion of education in a systemic way, he added.

He expressed these views while presiding over a consultative meeting with educational caucus of assembly members and educationists for reviewing the disparities in realities and general impression reported in recent survey conducted by a consulting institution “Institute of Public Opinion Research” with regard to education sector reforms roadmap in Punjab today.

Members National Assembly Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal and Chaudhry Munir Azam as well as Members Punjab Assembly Sheikh Ijaz Ahmed, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Mian Muhammad Rafique, Aamir Inayat Shahani, Abdul Razzaq Dhilon, Mian Naveed Ali, Hafiz Abdul Kareem, Saqlain Bukhari, Peer Ashraf Rasool, Engineer Qamar-ul-Islam, Kazam Pirzada, Chaudhry Nazar Hussain Gondal, Ijaz Shafi and Parliamentary Secretary for Education Mohtarma Mehwish Sultana were present on the occasion.

Commissioner Lahore Division, Chairman P&D, Secretary Information & Culture Punjab, Secretary Higher Education, Secretary Schools Education, Chairman Punjab Examination Commission Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, educationists belonging to private sector and Dr. Ijaz Nabi especially participated in the meeting. The meeting expressed its satisfaction that according to IPOR survey, 72 percent people have opined that as a result of reforms by Punjab government, service delivery has improved in education sector. Maximum improvement has been witnessed in Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi divisions, however, some non-functional government schools have been identified in Lodhran and Muzaffargarh districts.

Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan told that substantial progress has been made in the implementation of roadmap for providing quality education according to uniform syllabus to all children during last one year. He said that Punjab government has decided to conduct third party evaluation of reforms at every level in higher education and schools education in the province. He said that we will give respect to the teachers and training courses of the teachers are being further extended for improving teaching standard.

Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan termed the caucus of assembly members the best forum for knowing the ground realities about rural schools. He said that due to the cooperation of public representatives, present government has succeeded to check poor standard of education in the province and now Punjab government will give priority to the suggestions of public representatives for furthering the process successfully. The Minister assured that shortage of teaching staff will soon be removed in some schools of Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Sialkot and Sahiwal districts.

Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan paid tributes to the Chief Minister Punjab that he had made teaching of all subjects in Urdu from class one to three in all government and private schools whereas from class four to 10^th, only Urdu and Islamiyat subjects will be taught in Urdu while medium of instructions for remaining subjects will be English.