ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: Unicef has stressed on urgent and targeted approach to enhance primary education and capacity development of teachers.

Unicef country representative Dr Omar Abdi in his message on the occasion of International Literacy Day being observed on Wednesday lauded Pakistan government's initiatives to improve access of all children to quality education through the education system reforms programme.

He advocated of a 'positive emergency' approach in increasing resources for primary education and to the capacity-development activities required to ensure maximum effectiveness in use of those resources.

He said, "the time was ripe to magnify education as a basic right of every child by adopting an approach which includes immediate, bold, and targeted efforts to accelerate progress and address urgent needs in primary education".

Mr Abdi said primary education played a fundamental role in promoting literacy. Therefore, as part of an overall national effort, it was essential that all primary schools were effective and fully functioning with teachers well trained to do their job, and well supported with teaching resources.

He pointed out that the failure to ensure that all children are literate by class 5 represents a significant waste of national resources. The benefits of an increased investment in primary education, especially for girls, are well known to government, policymakers, donors and partners.

"Girls who are literate and numerate are more likely to give birth to healthy children, who survive the critical first few months of life, who grow and develop socially, physically and intellectually, and who are well placed to take full advantage of schools," he maintained.

Literate mothers are also more likely to ensure that both their sons and their daughters enrol in school, and complete the primary grades. However, despite positive government initiatives, these are not sufficient to reach targets.

"Unicef believes that we can must to do better. We have to translate the rhetoric into more coordinated and collaborative action required when addressing any emergency," Mr Abdi added.

Pakistan has approximately 27 million children of primary school age (5-10 years) but as many as 13 million are not enrolled in school; seven million of these are girls. Fifty per cent of those who do enrol drop out before completing class 5; the majority are girls.

For those who do complete primary school, learning achievements, especially literacy and numeracy, are low. Children, particularly girls in rural areas, face more difficulties in enrolling and completing school than those from wealthier urban families, the message said.