ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education has planned to achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) for girls by 2007.

This was stated in the recently released “Implementation Matrix, 2002” of the ministry.

In this regard, the ministry will provide buildings to all existing shelterless primary/elementary schools throughout the country. Additional classrooms will also be provided in the over- crowded schools.

As policy measures, the ministry has placed much emphasis on both primary and secondary education through provision of scholarships and subsidies to the girl students belonging to low income households.

The second concern, which the ministry will address in the future is equality of access and quality education for girls to narrow down the existing gender gap in the country.

The ministry also envisaged revision of curricula and text books at all education levels for gender sensitisation and provision of vocational and skills training particularly in Information Technology.

The ministry has already planned three projects for bringing the female population to the school system under Education Sector Reforms (ESR), i.e the community primary school project; the accelerated community primary schools project and the women literacy for women’ empowerment. The women development ministry will coordinate with the education ministry to make UPE possible in the said time period.

It may be added here that under the three-year plan (2001-04) of the education ministry, the overall female literacy rate would be improved from the present 39 percent to 47 percent. The target for female literacy by 2011 has been set at 67 percent.

Similarly, under the Education Sector Reforms (ESR) in each district, special schools, each for male and female students, will be selected to introduce technical/vocational education at matriculation level.

According to the implementation matrix of the ministry, in the literacy centres the focus will be on skill training for females at the secondary level.

Centres of excellence for women studies established at five public sector universities in 1989 are being upgraded to Women’s Studies Departments.

The matrix, in the end, has suggested that there should be regular reviewing of data and analysis of gender gap in access to education and training.