KARACHI: New national education policy likely in six months
KARACHI, Nov 18: The government will emphasize on the improvement of the standards of education in accordance with the regional requirements to get fruitful results in the next National Education Policy. The policy will be designed within six months.
This was informed at a high-level meeting, presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim here on Friday to discuss various aspects of the new education policy.
Consultant of the programme Javed Hasan Aly briefed Dr Arbab about details of the policy designed by the federal government.
He said that the previous policy was prepared in 1998, while the new policy would be formulated keeping in view the experiences and outcomes of the previous policy.
Mr Aly said that a uniform policy would be adopted to provide equal opportunities and benefits to every countryman.
The consultant said that an educational workshop would be organized at the provincial level in Karachi next month. Later similar workshops will be organized in Hyderabad and Sukkur, he added.
He said that a coordinated strategy would be adopted in the next policy and a uniform education policy would be followed in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Arbab said that education was imperative for sustainable development and prosperity of every nation and country.
He said that the education policy in question would be raised from the grassroots level to bring about improvement at the higher levels and in this regard the committee should get advice from educationists to prepare a permanent policy in the light of their experiences.
Dr Arbab also asked to follow the education policy in its letter and spirit. Directing the Sindh education department, he said that teachers should be appointed on merit.
Dr Arbab said that salaries of the teachers should also be increased so that they could work efficiently.
The chief minister further said students’ unions should be banned as such bodies create disturbance in educational institutions and their leaders cause harm to these institutes instead of working for the betterment of the students.
He added that appropriate action would be taken to impose ban on unions in the educational institutions.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Education Ghulam Ali Pasha, Deputy EDO Education Advisery, T.M. Qureshi, Policy Coordinator Abdul Sami Khan and Programme Officer Bushra Zulfiar Ali and Arshad Qureshi.
Meanwhile, a four-member delegation of the National Education Policy review team, led by consultant Javed Hasan Aly, met the Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman.
The delegation highlighted the factors necessary for the evolution of a quality educational system and opined that the formulation and implementation of a policy with the participation of the local and provincial governments along with the stakeholders was inevitable to achieve the desired results.
In this regard guiding principles will be established for a new policy through identification of problems while all other stages and factors concerning the scheme of studies and examination system will be positively promoted.
The chief secretary expressed his satisfaction over the progress achieved in connection with the new policy and directed secretaries Abdul Qadir Mangi and Ghulam Ali Pasha to take steps in coordination and participation with all the concerned departments. The team is scheduled to meet the chief secretary next month.—APP
