HARIPUR, May 3: The goal of ‘education for all’ will remain elusive unless funds allocated for the sector is enhanced and education is linked to the poverty eradication strategy, a seminar was told here on Tuesday. The seminar was organized by the Rural Development Project in collaboration with the Pakistan Coalition for Education, NWFP chapter, to mark the global action week on education for all programme.

RDP executive director Mohammad Ahsan said that a mid-term review of the programme painted a gloomy picture of the state of education in Pakistan and added that the objective would not be achieved unless the government enhanced its budgetary allocation of Rs140-Rs150 billion to Rs430 billion for the sector.

He said there were 20.7 million children of school-going age in the country, but 10.3 million out of them were out of school and exposed to socio-economical vulnerabilities.

He suggested abolition of all fees and education charges, setting up of a pro-poor mechanism, a uniform education system and raise in salaries of the teaching staff.

Tehsil Councillor Gul Ambrin Minhas said that educational institutions located in remote parts of the country needed to be paid attention. EDO Schools and Literacy System Sardar Pervez also spoke.