'Out-of-school children ratio continuously rising'

"Gaza's literacy rate has consistently been 97 per cent despite its dire circumstances, while we, as an independent nation, are struggling," stated Prof Dr Farid Panjwani at an SPELT event held on Saturday.

The Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) hosted a pre-conference event, "Celebratory Press Meet and Greet," to commemorate their 40th anniversary at the Pakistan American Cultural Center (PACC) on Saturday.

The event featured two engaging panel discussions. The first, "Education in a State of Emergency - Focus on Teacher Training," was addressed by CEO of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi and founder of children's and teacher's literature festivals, Baela Raza Jamil.

She shared her insights on out-of-school children statistics, highlighting that the numbers persistently grow without decline. "There is an education emergency in the country, but nobody is willing to address it," she added.

Dean of the Institute of Educational Development at AKU Prof Dr Farid Panjwani noted that English is often viewed as a colonial language, but SPELT aims to decolonise it. "This organisation has thrived amidst decline." He emphasised Gaza's impressive literacy rate despite its challenges.