September 18, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 10, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 17: The standard of education in Pakistan is pathetic and needs to be replaced with an internationally compatible need-oriented system.

The education, science and technology minister Prof Attaur Rehman on Tuesday deplored that enough time had been spent on formulating vague recommendations on education.

He was presiding over a meeting of committee of experts on “Standard of education improvement at Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) level”.

He said time and money bound action plan about how to improve quality of education at SSC and HSSC level and to make it need oriented and bring it on a par with international standards would be finalized by end September.

The plan would have clear targets to be achieved with responsibilities fixed on federal, provincial and district governments. All changes would be introduced gradually and phase- wise.

Prof Rehman said today’s world was a knowledge-driven place and key to sustainable socio-economic development was in high quality education, which may unleash the creativity of our youth and children and take the country out of prevailing backwardness.

Prof Rehman had constituted a committee of experts to prepare the action plan for improvement of standards of education at the SSC and HSSC level.

The major task given to the committee was to make education more need oriented and internationally compatible. The committee was asked to suggest changes in the existing educational system and curriculum with the objective to bring SSC and HSSC on a par with ‘O’ and “A” levels. The committee comprised educational experts both from the public and private sector.

He also asked the committee to convert its recommendations into money-bound, time-bound action plan with clear targets, objectives and responsibilities fixed on federal, provincial and district governments.

He said faculty should be considered the key to improve educational standards. Steps would be taken to improve quality and capabilities of teachers.