Pass it on: Khuhro turns to students to help boost literacy rate

International Literacy Day 2014 panellists stress on role of education in development.

KARACHI:
I will reward students who pass on basic education to the needy children who cannot go to school themselves, announced education minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro at an International Literacy Day panel discussion at Karachi School of Business and Leadership on Monday.

“The students themselves can transform the uneducated into the literate, helping us boost the country's literacy rate,” he said, sharing the responsibility of achieving the target of 86 per cent literacy by 2015 with the city's Matriculation, Intermediate and Bachelors students.



The panel, themed 'Literacy and Sustainable Development', was organised by the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) to share suggestions on improving children's participation in education in order to better the national literacy rate.  More than 100 participants, including government officials, social workers, university students and professionals from the public and private sectors, attended the discussion.

“The government is close to changing the curriculum,” Khuhro replied to a question asking what new steps had been taken by the provincial government to increase the literacy rate, saying that they were also distributing free books and providing free education. He added that schools could bring together parents, students, teachers and government officials to support and uplift their communities.

Literacy is a universally acknowledged human right, which empowers individuals and drives social and human development. By helping to eradicate poverty, reduce child mortality, curb population growth and achieve gender equality, it also promotes sustainable development, peace, democracy and stability. According to Khuhro, no country has achieved sustained economic growth without first attaining near universal primary education. He added that education lays the foundation for sound governance, robust institutions and strong communities, and is not just a building block but a cornerstone of free societies.


“Literacy is a key lever of change and a practical tool of empowerment for each of the three main pillars of sustainable development:  economic development, social development and environmental protection,” said SEF managing director Aziz Kabani.

Dr Sajid Ali, a member of the Institute for Educational Development and the moderator of the event, said that that the tragedy was not how little had been achieved in education in Pakistan, but how little progress had been made over the years. He further stressed that although people have become cynical about the usefulness of just talking about the issue, discussions and strategising were essential components of the efforts.

“Sustainable development is only possible if we work together, which means that educating girls is just as, if not more important than educating boys,” said Thardeep chairperson Dr Suleman Shaikh. “Contrary to popular belief, a lot of work is being done for sustainable development here by hardworking and dedicated people; it is just not being recognised as it should be.”

Meanwhile, Exploring Leadership and Learning Association founding member Muhammad Babur said that Pakistan had become mired in the technicalities of the issue. “We need to get rid of the old ways that have not worked and begin to find new solutions for the problem,” he declared.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2014.

 
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