PAKISTAN is facing major issues of energy, security, and socio-economic development. However, to ensure any concrete improvement, our leaders must realise and recognise the importance of education.

Only by investing in our children’s education, can this nation arise.

Compulsory education should be made mandatory by declaring a national emergency. The federal and provincial governments should reduce budget allocations for all other sectors to increase the education budget from the current 2 per cent of GDP to 7pc.

A similar policy was implemented in Malaysia by Dr Mahathir Mohamad where 30pc of the annual budget is allocated to education.

It must be ensured that at least 25pc of the provincial and federal education budget of 2015 is allocated to higher education in accordance with international standards. Unfortunately, only 12pc of the already very small educational budget of 2015 is allocated to higher education.

Our leaders should remember that without increasing the education budget, it would be impossible to give this country a 100pc literacy.

Seemab Fatima Kazmi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2015

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