ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Monday said that government was focusing on using technology to improve literacy rate.

He was speaking at a ceremony organised a mobile phone company to celebrate the success of Jazz Smart Schools programme.

Launched in October 2017, the Jazz Smart Schools programme has been a success story so far.

Veon’s CEO and Chairman Ursula Burns and Huawei’s CEO Saif Chi were also present to commend the team behind the programme and encourage its adoption in all middle schools of Islamabad.

Ursula Burns and Shafqat Mahmood awarded tablets and certificates to 100 students for their exceptional performance during mid-term examinations.

In Pakistan, where 38pc school-going students hardly know how to string a sentence in any language or do basic math, the programme has successfully taught 28,000 middle school girls blended learning in 75 public schools of Islamabad.

Also 800 women teachers have been trained to use tech to teach using smart learning solutions based on existing curriculum.

Talking about the need for similar digitally enabled educational initiatives, the Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said: “Digital skills are a priority for us because they enable learning on a larger and more effective scale. We will be able to bridge the digital literacy divide in Pakistan with programmes like the Jazz Smart Schools.”

“The results clearly confirm how Jazz and Pakistan Federal Directorate of Education is committed to the digital transformation of Pakistan’s youth. Digital education is the future and I’m very pleased to see that the students at Jazz Smart Schools have taken to it like any other child in the Silicon Valley,” said Ursula Burns.

“We hope that this programme is now implemented across the country, as it is in line with not only the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, but the Pakistan government’s strategic vision 2025,” she added.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019