The three-day ‘Pakistan Learning Festival’ on the theme of ‘today’s readers, tomorrow’s learners’ organised by the education ministry in collaboration with the Idara e Taleem-o-Aghai (ITA) and the National Book Foundation ends today (Monday).
A host of activities including screenings, poetry renditions, along with theatrical, dance and musical performances will take place on the final day. The day will include discussions on key educational issues as well as a book fair.
The education Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry had earlier revealed that the focus of this year's event was on children, schools, and families. The festival included educationist delivering 'lightning talks' addressing innovative solutions to specific areas of foundational learning.
The festival started Saturday with a discussion on enhancing literacy and reading. Caretaker Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Madad Ali Sindhi was the chief guest. It included educationists leading discussions on key challenges and advancements in the field of literacy and foundational learning.
It included animated storytelling, singing & songwriting contests, interactive performances, character creation.
At the opening day, the chief guest underscored the importance of education for progress. “Pakistan as a country needs to bring back its focus to education,” he said.
Sindh said it was imperative that we work towards promoting the culture of reading among the youth. He said that reading could be encouraged through such literary festivals. “It can eventually raise a well-read and educated generation.”
He said that there are three streams of education in Pakistan: public, and private, and the madrassas. “They are creating three different classes in the country,” he added.
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Sindhi said that after visiting the schools and colleges of Islamabad, he realized that there was a long way to go. He said schools and colleges in Islamabad should have been an example for the rest of the country.
He said that after taking the office he has met with the vice chancellors of numerous universities across all the provinces in order to develop a uniform plan to address the prevailing issues of our public education sector.
As it was also International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the minister remarked that it was important to reiterate our commitment to stop all types of violence against women and provide them with equal opportunities so that they can achieve their full potential.
“It is a shame that even today young girls are forced to work instead of going to school,” he said. It is the duty of the government to ensure that all women of our country are provided free education, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2023.
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