KARACHI, Jan 21: The Islamic Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has set in motion the implementation of its three-year action plan for the years 2004-2006 , which was adopted by its eighth general conference held last month in Tehran.

A communication received here on Wednesday said the ISESCO's three-year action plan seeks to attain a series of goals under its scope of competence. Thus, in the field of education the plan seeks to gear up original educational activities towards serving sustainable development, to encourage the reform of educational systems with a view to making education useful, and to ensure that education is in the service of society.

The ISESCO's new action plan, which is the seventh since its creation, represents a major shift as it embodies an advanced conception, a renewed choice in terms of the activities, and a diversity in terms of the programmes and projects due to be implemented by the organization during the next three years, say analysts.

In order to achieve these goals, attention has been focused on issues in lifelong learning, education for all, self-education, distance learning, promotion of technological education, education for special categories, and the promotion of teaching of Islamic education and the Arabic language as well as the languages of the Muslim peoples.

As to the field of sciences, the plan set four main goals, namely the support of the member states' capacities in the field of technology, scientific research and development of scientific and technological education. -APP