ISLAMABAD: The state minister for federal education and professional training, Balighur Rehman, on Wednesday regretted that less than 1pc students get technical education.

Speaking at MOU signing ceremony between National Education Foundation (NEF) and private schools from Gilgit-Baltistan and Fata for promotion of technical education through public-private partnership, the minister said there was a dire need of technical schools.

He said generally 16pc of the students get technical education around the world but in Pakistan less than 1pc get technical education and training.

The minister said there were 24 million out-of-school children.

“One reason of out-of-school children is that not every child has an aptitude for formal education and we don’t have enough technical and vocational schools for such students,” he said and added that efforts were being made to establish new technical schools.

The MoU was signed between NEF and various private schools of GB and Fata for promotion of technical education.

The singing ceremony was attended by MD NEF Qaiser Majeed Malik, Parliamentary Secretary Nazir Khan, former Senator Razina Alma Khan and other officials of the ministry of federal education.

The main purpose of the MoU is to equip academically weak and out-of-school children with skills of demand driven vocational trades.

NEF and the schools in question would provide free vocational education from class 6th to class 8th and students will also be given Rs800 stipend per month along with the provision of free books.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2016