President Dr Arif Alvi encouraged all stakeholders on Wednesday to find an ‘out of the box solution’ to educate and train the country’s 23 million out-of-school youngsters without engaging in ‘bricks and mortar’ projects.
Speaking at the ‘Education Excellence Recognition’ ceremony organized by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president expressed concern about the number of out-of-school children.
The UNISCEF’s newest study on out-of-school children following the recent floods put the amount at 27 million, he said, adding that going through formal means of enrolling them and building schools would take time.
“The world is moving at a breakneck pace, with mind-boggling advances in the latest knowledge,” he added.
The president stated that the government wanted to spread the latest science and technology throughout society through new methods of education and techniques, but that other stakeholders, such as industrialists and businessmen, should also come forward to play their part in this regard, according to the state news agency.
He stated that the issue of the number of out-of-school children was a question mark and that everyone should find a rapid and unconventional answer.
The president highlighted that the country was slow to embrace the latest scientific and technological breakthroughs and emphasised the importance of taking a holistic approach to reality by quickening the rate of change to match the rest of the world.
He stated that education was now devolved to the provinces, and that all provinces spent 20 to 28 percent of their budget on the area.
In other bordering nations, the percentage of school-age children ranged from 98 to 100 percent, while in Pakistan, it was only 68 percent, he continued.
The president stated that it was also a natural law that such nations excelled in many fields that required new and innovative ideas.
He also emphasized the importance of increasing the number of students pursuing higher education and expressed concern that the formal attitude in this regard should be abandoned.
Sharing examples, he stated that in Karachi, over 60,000 students appeared at the FSc level, but only 7,000 pupils advanced to higher-level study.
He stated that in surrounding nations, the ratio of pupils seeking higher education reached 25-26 percent.
The president also emphasized the importance of a common national curriculum.
He stated that tools and devices were available and that it was imperative that they be used to provide their future generations with skills and the most up-to-date education, in addition to instilling essential social values.
The president stated that the consultation process, trade, respect, and identity were some of the ingredients used to build the state.
He claimed that nations were built on their national characteristics.
He also highlighted the importance of documenting the economy in order to effect change through the use of the most up-to-date instruments, stating that the country held enormous potential and that businesspeople, traders, and manufacturers could play a critical role in this respect by harnessing young talent.
The president maintained that audio and video leaks were useless because they violated people’s privacy and were referred to as ‘Gheebat’ (backbiting).
