PM Shehbaz calls for modernisation of education system, focus on technical training

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasised the importance of providing quality education and technical training, highlighting the growing need for skills development, information technology, and digitalisation in modern educational systems.

He urged the country to align its education system with these modern requirements.

Chairing a key review meeting on the Federal Ministry of Education and Technical Training, Shehbaz stated that no nation can progress without a high-quality education system. He reiterated that delivering quality education and technical training is a top priority for the government.

The prime minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that no child is left out of school. He noted that an educational emergency had been declared immediately after his administration took office, underlining the urgency of improving education in Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif also called for a national curriculum leadership conference to implement a uniform education system across the country.

Additionally, he directed authorities to accelerate the construction of Daanish Schools in underprivileged areas such as Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Balochistan.

The prime minister ordered the establishment of day-care centres in all educational institutions in Islamabad for female teachers and further instructed that e-libraries be set up in parks and recreational spots with free public access and internet.

In efforts to increase female student enrolment, Shehbaz Sharif proposed monthly stipends for female students in rural areas of Islamabad and directed that technical training be incorporated into school curriculums.

He also stressed the need to provide free technical training to students who had dropped out of school and to launch awareness campaigns to encourage them to re-engage with education.

The prime minister highlighted the importance of teacher training, calling for a top-tier teacher training institution in Islamabad and a third-party audit to assess teachers’ capabilities. He stressed the need for transparency and merit in hiring teachers and warned that no negligence would be tolerated.

During the meeting, it was revealed that the buses provided for student transport in 2017 had been out of service for years. The prime minister ordered an inquiry into the matter.

The Federal Ministry of Education briefed the prime minister on several initiatives, including providing lunch to students in Islamabad’s schools, which has led to improved enrolment.

Early childhood education centres have been set up, and digital training centres have been established in colleges across the capital, offering courses in data sciences, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology.

The briefing also revealed that renovations are underway at 167 schools in Islamabad and that five model colleges are being equipped with software technology parks.

Fifty digital hubs have been created in rural areas, and after repairs, 45 school buses, now dubbed "pink buses," are transporting female students from rural areas to schools in Islamabad, benefiting 8,000 girls.

Additionally, smart classrooms have been established with digital boards and screens, and 100 rural schools are being converted to solar energy under a public-private partnership.

Language courses in Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Japanese, and German have also been introduced in collaboration with the National University of Modern Languages (NUML).

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the PM's Coordinator on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam, and other senior government officials.