SARGODHA: Nuclear physicist and educationist Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy says the educational system of Pakistan is facing issues like inadequate government investment, corruption, lack of institutional capacity and a poor curriculum that often incites intolerance among the students.

“Pakistan is spending more on education than many others to have better educational outcomes but this too is insufficient as there is need to create well-functioning educational institutions, suitable for the modern age requirements more than just money and good governance,” he said during his lecture on ‘Loving Pakistan; What It Really Means,’ at the Sargodha Literary Festival (SLF-2019) that concluded at the University of Sargodha (UoS) on Friday.

“Loving Pakistan does not mean to love the land but to having love, care and respect for the rights of every human being. Loving Pakistan means abiding rules, paying taxes and understanding a certain role of oneself as a human being,” he added.

The last day of the festival started with a Q&A session with Acting Chinese Ambassador Lijian Zhao about success of China’s economic model and the way forward.

Mr Zhao said China and Pakistan were not fair-weather friends but friends of all weathers.

He urged the youth to play their role in taking this relationship to the new heights and getting the maximum benefits from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

In response to a question regarding China’s status of global economic leader while having the communist system and how it managed the two diverse systems at the same time, Lijian Zhao said China had a strong central governmental system unlike the US, the UK and Pakistan.

He said economic reforms must precede political reforms and in China, leadership maintained the tradition of central planning and economic decision-making to make quick and effective decisions that were followed by the provincial and local governments even without questioning and debate by the opposition.

“China is working for the provision of technical and vocational education which plays a significant role in equipping people with skills necessary for a job in this technological age. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will create enormous employment and business opportunities,” he said while responding to another question.

During the three-day spring celebration, thousands of literary enthusiasts heard speeches, lectures by renowned authors, scholars, interactive sessions with literati, and enjoyed musical concerts, quiz contests and visual art performances.

The event promoted the passion for reading, writing and critical thinking in students. The fest was aimed at providing students with a forum to interact, exchanging ideas and engaging in dialogues and stressing them out from an intense academic year by creating memories in a cheerful environment.

A music concert was held at the end of the festival.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2019