MIRPUR, March 26: A comprehensive plan has been chalked out to promote latest education system, harmonious with the needs of modern era, in Azad Kashmir.

This was disclosed by the AJK Minister for Commerce and Industry Masood Khalid Chaudhry while speaking as chief guest at the annual prize distribution ceremony held at the Mirpur Public High School on Tuesday. He added that the plan would soon be implemented.

The school Principal Mrs Nuzhet Kamran, in her welcome speech, highlighted the educational and extra-curricular activities of the school, pointing out that the school was providing quality education in the city, for more than four decades.

She said that the students after completing their studies from the institution were serving the nation in various responsible positions in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, as well as in the United Kingdom.

She revealed that a scheme to elevate the school to the level of intermediate college in the near future was in the pipeline, which, she said needed government’s assistance.

The minister said that under the integrated plan, latest education system, including those related to various professional sectors, particularly in Science and Information Technology, would be promoted in the state-run schools and colleges of the AJK and private schools would also be encouraged to adopt the system.

Mr Khalid said that the government was already acting upon an integrated plan to raise the rate of literacy in Azad Kashmir to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The minister emphasized the need for the Muslim Ummah to get acquainted with the latest education system especially in the field of science for attaining a respectable position in the world and to meet the challenges confronted by the Muslim World.

Appreciating the performance of the private sector educational institutions in promoting education, he said that the private schools and colleges were performing better as compared to those in the public sector.

The minister said that suitable sites would be reserved for the private and public sector schools and colleges at the proposed new Mirpur City, to be established on 6,000 kanals of land as a result of Mangla dam extension project.

He assured the school management of every possible assistance by the government to raise it to the level of intermediate college, because of its excellent performance.

Earlier, the minister gave away prizes to the students of various classes, who secured positions and distinctions in the annual examination, managed by the school. The school children presented tableaus and songs depicting the plight of innocent people of the occupied Jammu Kashmir in their indigenous struggle for the right of self determination.

The ceremony was attended among others by the chairperson, AJK Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpur, Mrs Bilquess Ayaz, secretary, AJK, BISE, Prof Javeid Serwar, Research officer, Tasawar Hussain Sulehriaya, educationists, parents, students and elite of the city.—APP