RAWALPINDI: A new building for the Faulty of Education at the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), which was constructed by USAID for $1.5 million, was inaugurated on Tuesday.

The plaque was unveiled by Minister for State for Education and Professional Training Dr Balighur Rehman, USAID Mission Director John Groarke and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed.

FJWU Vice Chancellor Dr Samina Amin Qadir, deans, faculty members and students were present on the occasion as well.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr Rehman said the government was working on easy access to higher education across the country.

“The budget for higher education in 2013 was Rs41 billion which has since been increased significantly and now, Rs91 billion has been spend on facilitating students in pursuing higher education,” he said.

The minister said talented students have been awarded scholarships so they can get a higher education without any problems and that the government wanted to improve the standard of education in all the educational institutions in the country.

“Our common goal is to invest in the next generation of doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs- the next generation of leaders,” said Mr Groarke.

“Women are a proven development multiplier and their participation in all levels of society helps build resilient communities,” he added.

Mr Groarke said that via the new department, the Fatima Jinnah Women’s University will train thousands of future educators to teach children the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy, create classroom settings where children’s creativity and passion for learning are allowed to flourish and ensure students develop market-relevant skills which enable them to thrive in a rapidly changing 21st Century global economy.

FJWU Vice Chancellor Dr Qadir said: “The establishment of the Faculty of Education by USAID is an attempt to facilitate talented and high achieving students from across the region and so they have access to higher education and to help them realise their potential”.

She said the education department is one of the most popular degree programs according to the number of applications received each year.

“It is offering four degree programmes including bachelors, masters, MPhil and PhD. A total of 38 USAID scholarships were awarded to the Department of Education of which 30 students have graduated and eight are still completing their degrees. More than half the students from this faculty are employed in the education sector,” she said.

The Faculty of Education was established by USAID in order to draw Pakistani women to the teaching profession.

USAID has also introduced scholarships for the university’s students including those studying to become teachers. The US Embassy partners with FJWU on numerous projects for the promotion of women’s education and empowerment.

Between 2012 and 2016, the US Embassy supported a partnership between the FJWU and the University of Texas, Austin, to strengthen women’s education in behavioural sciences, gender studies and communication and media studies.

Through USAID, the US government has provided $47.5 million for the establishment and reconstruction of 17 faculty of education buildings across Pakistan which can cater to more than 5,000 students and 200 faculty members a year. USAID has also provided in-service training to almost 14,000 educators and awarded more than 3,100 scholarships to enable students to earn their bachelors and other degrees in education.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2017