International Literacy Day: Education ‘cornerstone’ for peace, development

Govt urged to take concrete steps to increase literacy.

PESHAWAR:

Increasing literacy and education are indispensable to sustain peace, economic development and political stability.

This was stated by Unesco Director Dr Kozue Kay Nagata during a seminar held in Peshawar on Friday.

The seminar was organised in cooperation with the Pakistan Association for Continuing and Adult Education (Pacade) on International Literacy Day.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Education Secretary Mushtaq Jadoon, senior educationist Arshad Saeed Khan and Elementary and Secondary Education Director Sarwat Jehan were among those who spoke.

International Literacy Day is celebrated every year on September 8. The theme for this year was ‘Literacy for Peace’.

The educationists said that the literacy rate in the country is 57 per cent, which is alarmingly low compared to other developing countries. Pakistan is currently ranked 130 in the list of countries by literacy rate, while female literacy in K-P is less than 15 per cent.

They explained that approximately 30 to 35 per cent of children in K-P have no access to education, which is a matter of grave concern. The meagre budget allocation for the education sector was cited as the main cause of high illiteracy in the region.

While stressing the importance of education, they said it the most important tool for any society to develop economically and socially, adding that democracy could not strengthen in the country if 70 to 80 per cent of the voters were illiterate.

They stated that 21 developing countries of the world spent more on arms than on education, and Pakistan stands on top of the list.

They lamented on the fact that the government did not allocate any funds for the ‘Literacy for All’ project this year and stressed on the need to take pragmatic steps to increase education in the country.

They suggested that the provincial government pass a ‘Free Education Act’, increase funds for the education sector in the provincial budget, and launch motivation drives to encourage enrolment in all parts of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2011.