Sustainable Development Goal 4: Centre, K-P, UN agencies join hands to meet objectives
Ghani said missing facility issue at schools would be addressed
PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
A two-day consultation on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) commenced at a hotel in the city on Tuesday. SDG 4 is to “ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.”
The event was organised by United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund with the support of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.
Addressing the participants, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman said 60% children are enrolled at schools since 2013, up from 58%. He believed the standard of education has improved in Pakistan as the number of out-of-school children has decreased from 6.2 million to 4.2 across the country in two years.
World's refugees and displaced exceed record 60 million: UN
He added the National Curriculum Council (NCC) was established with the basic aim to introduce a single, federal-level curriculum. Although the 18th Amendment empowered provinces to introduce their own curricula, he added, some lessons like those on national heroes, poets and scholars can be recommended by NCC to the provinces.
The federal minister admitted Pakistan had not achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) but was still trying to meet the targets.
State of education
Special Assistant to the K-P CM on Information and Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani said the incumbent provincial government accepted the challenge to introduce a better education system in the province and initiated a reforms process. He said its results would be seen shortly.
Ghani added the provincial government allocated 28% of its development and non-development budgets to education and out of the total allocation, 80% had been spent on primary education.
There is such a thing as free lunch at Sindh govt schools
He highlighted the fact of missing facilities at schools, saying the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government has decided to increase the budget and would introduce a system of six teachers for six classrooms for primary schools.
Sustainable development
Representatives of UNESCO presented the global goals for SDG 4, which aims to ensure free and equal primary and secondary education by 2030 for all boys and girls.
The goals also include access to quality early childhood development, and pre-primary education so the children are ready to study at the primary level. By 2030, there should be a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational, for employment and entrepreneurship.
Similarly, elimination of gender disparities in education and the construction of education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent and effective learning environments for all are also part of SDC 4.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2016.
A two-day consultation on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) commenced at a hotel in the city on Tuesday. SDG 4 is to “ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.”
The event was organised by United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund with the support of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.
Addressing the participants, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman said 60% children are enrolled at schools since 2013, up from 58%. He believed the standard of education has improved in Pakistan as the number of out-of-school children has decreased from 6.2 million to 4.2 across the country in two years.
World's refugees and displaced exceed record 60 million: UN
He added the National Curriculum Council (NCC) was established with the basic aim to introduce a single, federal-level curriculum. Although the 18th Amendment empowered provinces to introduce their own curricula, he added, some lessons like those on national heroes, poets and scholars can be recommended by NCC to the provinces.
The federal minister admitted Pakistan had not achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) but was still trying to meet the targets.
State of education
Special Assistant to the K-P CM on Information and Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani said the incumbent provincial government accepted the challenge to introduce a better education system in the province and initiated a reforms process. He said its results would be seen shortly.
Ghani added the provincial government allocated 28% of its development and non-development budgets to education and out of the total allocation, 80% had been spent on primary education.
There is such a thing as free lunch at Sindh govt schools
He highlighted the fact of missing facilities at schools, saying the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government has decided to increase the budget and would introduce a system of six teachers for six classrooms for primary schools.
Sustainable development
Representatives of UNESCO presented the global goals for SDG 4, which aims to ensure free and equal primary and secondary education by 2030 for all boys and girls.
The goals also include access to quality early childhood development, and pre-primary education so the children are ready to study at the primary level. By 2030, there should be a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational, for employment and entrepreneurship.
Similarly, elimination of gender disparities in education and the construction of education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent and effective learning environments for all are also part of SDC 4.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2016.