Shehbaz urges future-ready education for all

PM calls on educational institutions to promote IT, robotics and artificial intelligence

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday underscored the importance of preparing students for the demands of the modern world by promoting information technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging fields in educational institutions.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Daanish School Kuri in Islamabad, the prime minister stressed the need to ensure equal opportunities in education and healthcare for all citizens, regardless of their socioeconomic background, to realise the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

"No talented child should be deprived of quality education merely because of financial constraints," he said. "Pakistan cannot fully realise its founding ideals unless every child, from Karachi to Peshawar and from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Gilgit-Baltistan, has access to quality education and healthcare."

Shehbaz said the Daanish Schools initiative aimed to provide children from underprivileged families with educational opportunities comparable to those available at the country's leading institutions, enabling them to develop their potential and contribute to national progress.

"After 80 years down the line, we must pause and honestly introspect about what we dreamt of in 1947," he remarked, questioning whether the prevailing disparities in the education system reflected the Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The prime minister observed that affluent families could afford to send their children to prestigious educational institutions in Pakistan and abroad, while exceptionally talented children from poor families often struggled to access even basic educational facilities.

Referring to students who had overcome financial hardships to achieve academic success, he said Pakistan had countless gifted boys and girls whose abilities could help transform the country's future if they were provided with the right opportunities.

He cited the example of a specially-abled girl from K-P who had continued her education despite considerable challenges. He also highlighted the achievement of a girl from a disadvantaged area of Punjab who, after studying at a Daanish School, became a doctor and was now able to serve humanity.

Shehbaz said these achievements reinforced the vision behind establishing the Daanish Schools network in 2010, during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab, to bridge the educational divide between privileged and disadvantaged sections of society.

The initiative, he said, was intended to provide children from remote and underserved areas, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, with access to high-quality education and the opportunity to compete on merit with students from affluent families.

The prime minister said the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, now transformed into the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, was also helping realise Quaid-i-Azam's vision by enabling talented students to pursue education regardless of their financial circumstances.

He expressed confidence that Daanish School graduates would not only transform their own lives through education but also contribute to Pakistan's development through their ingenuity, hard work and sustained efforts.

"I am standing before you today not merely as the prime minister of Pakistan, but as a servant of the people," he said, describing the students' stories and achievements presented at the ceremony as deeply moving and inspiring.

He stressed that every child deserved a fair chance to succeed, whether born into a wealthy family or a household struggling to meet basic needs. Expanding access to education, he added, was essential to building a more equitable society and enabling young people to play a meaningful role in the country's progress.

Earlier, the prime minister visited different sections of Daanish School Kuri, interacted with students and staff members, reviewed the educational facilities and encouraged students to pursue their ambitions despite the challenges they might face.

Federal Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui described the occasion as an important milestone in the country's education sector, reflecting a renewed focus on preparing younger generations for the future.

Chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme Rana Mashhood appreciated the prime minister's initiatives, including scholarships for deserving students, the Punjab Education Endowment Fund and the Punjab Daanish Authority.

According to a briefing at the ceremony, more than 40,000 students were receiving education in Daanish Schools, while 28 schools were under construction in different parts of the country, including nine in Balochistan, six in K-P, three in Sindh, five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and four in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Sharing their experiences at the ceremony, students Zahid Gul from Kurram and Aiman Ali Gul spoke about the financial hardships that had threatened their educational aspirations. They expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided by the Daanish Schools system, which had enabled them to continue their studies.

Daanish School graduates Amanat Ali, Ansa, Irfan Ullah, Dr Aleena and Naeem Asghar also shared their experiences, highlighting how educational opportunities had helped them overcome financial barriers and pursue their chosen careers.