PESHAWAR, April 18: The NWFP Education Commission presented on Saturday its report to the provincial government that among other things, set the year 2015 as the deadline to achieve hundred per cent literacy in the province.

The report was presented to Chief Minister Akram Durrani at a ceremony here.

Mufti Ghulamur Rehman, who heads the 11-member commission, highlighted the salient features of the 50-page report. The commission was formed under the NWFP Shariat Act, 2003, and was tasked to put forward recommendations to reform the education system.

It has recommended a three-tier education system and abolition of contract system for hiring of teachers. The report, which comprised four chapters, covered the first phase of education reforms as envisaged in the Shariat Bill.

The report also presented seven guidelines to achieve the objectives of quality education, teachers' training and character-building among students in order to prepare them to meet the challenges of the modern day.

The commission has proposed 13 guidelines for teachers training to enhance their efficiency, character-building of students through promotion of Islamic values and other healthy curricular and extra-curricular activities.

It has recommended reading of the holy Quran at various grades, as well as teaching of Islamic history, Arabic language and Islamic studies. The commission has also recommended introduction of Darsi-i- Nizami at the ninth and tenth grades level. It has recommended introduction of a Shariat faculty at Inter and degree college level.

Significantly, the commission has acknowledged the importance of English as a language and recommended its introduction from class-1. It has also acknowledged the importance of girl education but underlined the need for introducing separate schools, colleges and university for them.

It has recommended gradual narrowing and subsequent elimination of the gap between the male-female literacy ratio, merger of Islamic teachings in different subjects and introduction of adult education on an emergency basis.

It asks the government to allocate at least 3.2 per cent of the GNP to education, describing the current 2.2 per cent as totally inadequate. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister assured the commission that the government would implement its recommendations in letter and spirit.

He said that the recommendations which fell within the purview of the federal government would be taken up with Islamabad for implementation.