GILGIT: A two-day inter-provincial education ministerial conference concluded here on Friday, with pledges to ensure maximum enrolment of out of school children.

Representatives from the four provinces, AJK, Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan participated and deliberated upon the issues pertaining to the state of education in the country, and made some decisions.

Addressing a news conference after the meeting, Federal State Minster for Education Balighur Rehman said the conference deliberated on educational issues in GB, adding the federal government would assist the regional government in establishment of engineering and medical colleges.

Two-day inter-provincial education conference concludes in Gilgit

“Initially two vocational training centres would be launched in the region to promote technical education,” he maintained.

He pointed out that over 600,000 children were out of school in Pakistan, out of which, 15 per cent or about 100,000 children, were out of school in GB.

Mr Rehman said the conference unanimously decided to introduce reforms in the education sector to face the challenges of present era.

The minister said the conference decided to change examination system to control cheating in examinations, adding strict action would be taken against the education boards that failed to control cheating in exams.

The federal minister said the conference emphasised to avail opportunities of foreign scholarships.

He said it was decided to increase enrolment in schools after collecting relevant data from Nadra.

Balighur Rehman said the National Education Policy was being reviewed to formulate a new policy to meet modern-day needs. The minister said the federal government was making efforts to make Quranic education compulsory in all public schools across the country. “Quran would be taught from grade one to grade 5 and proper Quranic education with translation would be taught to students of grade six to grade 12 in all public schools,” he added.

He said it was being ensured to teach school syllabus in all religious seminaries across the country Addressing the press conference, GB Minister for Education Ibrahim Sanai said students faced difficulty as they didn’t have any engineering and medical college in the region.

He requested the federal government to support GB government in establishing technical and professional institutes in the region.

Organised by Higher Education Commission, the meeting was attended among others by HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, GB Governor Mir Gazanfar Ali Khan, Blochistan Minister for Education Rahim Ziarat Wal, Ms Margrate Admison, the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Speaker GBLA Fida

Mohammad Nashaad, Deputy Speaker Jaffarullah Khan, officials and educational experts from all provinces, AJK, Fata, Islamabad and GB.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016