LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that hundred percent enrollment of children in schools will be ensured in the province by May 31, 2016 under the enrollment campaign.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Students Enrollment Campaign 2014 at Chief Minister’s office, here on Wednesday, the chief minister said it was a big challenge and collective efforts were needed for its achievement.
Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Country Head of an international company Mckinsey in Pakistan, Salman Ahmed, members of Punjab cabinet, Members National and Provincial Assembly, Secretary Education, Vice Chairman Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, educationists, teachers, parents and a large number of students were present on the occasion.
The chief minister said that if a masterpiece like metro bus project can be completed within eleven months than the target of enrollment of all children could also be realised. He said that there was a need to impose educational emergency to remove the darkness of ignorance from the society. He said that elected representatives should play an active role for the success of enrollment campaign, bringing all children of school-going age to schools and reducing dropout rate.
He said that assembly members achieving the target of 100 percent enrollment of children in their respective districts would be encouraged.
The chief minister said that education was the only way for eliminating poverty and unemployment, achieving progress and prosperity of the country as well as the goal of self-reliance. He lamented that education sector was badly neglected in the past and a huge loss was caused to the country in the form of wastage of time and resources. He said that tireless and strenuous efforts were needed for making up this loss and practical measures will have to be taken for achieving educational targets.
Shahbaz Sharif said that education was the secret to success and prosperity. He said that spread of knowledge to every nook and corner of the country was essential for achieving a dignified status for the country in the comity of nations. He said that Pakistan was facing terrorism, corruption, nepotism and a number of other challenges and education is the only solution to these problems.
The chief minister said there was no dearth of resources in the country and the poor situation in education sector is the result of loot, corruption, lack of will, misuse of resources and absence of an effective accountability system. The chief minister said that it was time for collective efforts and struggle for changing the existing obsolete system. He said that Pakistan was lagging far behind in the field of education and even some countries of South Asia were far ahead of Pakistan.
He said that the goals of national development and progress cannot be achieved without bringing a revolution in education sector. He said that 65 percent population of the country was living in rural areas while 35 percent in cities and there is a need for equipping the rural population with education to achieve the goals of progress and development.
Shahbaz said that a solid strategy had been adopted in the province for the promotion of education and billions of rupees are being spent on provision of missing facilities in schools. He said that process of provision of missing academic facilities in all primary schools for girls in the province and in all primary schools of South Punjab will be completed this year.
The chief minister said that a realistic policy had been adopted for ensuring availability of teachers in schools in accordance with the number of students. He said that teachers deserve all respect and solution of their genuine problems and difficulties is the responsibility of the state.
However, he said, teachers should prefer to teach in the schools of rural areas over urban areas in the interest of students of far-flung areas.
Shahbaz Sharif said that an ordinary citizen had as much right over quality education as the elite and Punjab government is granting them this right. He said that the gulf between the rich and poor was very dangerous and there was a need to remove this social disparity.
He said that setting up of Daanish School, Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and encouragement of brilliant boy and girl students besides other welfare programme of Punjab government were an important step towards removing this gulf. He said that it was a fact that only those nations have progressed in the world as have given due importance to education sector and adopted the principles of hard work and honesty.
The chief minister said that China was an example in this regard which achieved independence two years after Pakistan but has become a superpower by dint of hard work and determination. He said that people of brotherly Islamic country of Turkey had constructed a modern hospital in Muzaffargarh which was equipped with the latest facilities whereas he was shocked to see the rusted machinery in the operation theater of a hospital in Lodhran. He said that those responsible for this situation will not be spared.
Shahbaz Sharif said that billions of rupees had been spent on education and health sectors during the last 68 years but the desired results have not been achieved. He said that the poor condition of institutions is the result of activities of corrupt mafia and corruption has brought Pakistan to the verge of disaster. He said that there is a need to root out this corrupt system.
He said that Punjab government had introduced reforms in examination system and the activities of booty mafia have been completely eliminated. However, he said, 100 percent computerization of examination system and the affairs of the boards was essential. He directed Provincial Minister for Education and Secretary Educations to take measures in this regard.