PESHAWAR, Dec 18: The education system requires radical changes to restore the people’s confidence on public sector schools, says Chairman of the NWFP education commission Mufti Ghulamur Rehman.

He said this while speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club here on Thursday.

Criticizing the standard of education in government-run schools, he said it was not up to the mark that was why the people preferred to send their children to private schools.

The provincial government, he said, recently constituted a commission under the Shariat Act 2003 to enhance literacy rate, improve the education quality besides recommending changes in the curriculum in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

“Character-building should be the top priority of the education system,” he said, adding that the present curriculum required fundamental changes. He said that the commission would identify objectives in this regard besides making easily implementable recommendations.

Citing poverty as being the main factor affecting both the literacy rate and the quality of education, he said that the commission would recommend the provincial government to make allocations from Zakat funds.

He added that it would also be suggested to declare the most under-developed district as a model district from where the government should start reforms.

Expressing his concern over the low literacy rate among women, particularly in rural areas, the commission’s chairman said that the government should provide conducive environment for women in education institutions to increase the literacy rate.

The commission, which held its second meeting in Peshawar on Wednesday, constituted four sub-committees for making recommendations regarding curriculum, teachers’ training, administration and for improving the literacy rate.

These committees had been directed to submit their proposals before Jan 7, 2004.