Reforms road-map : ‘Universal education can help eradicate extremism’

DFID representatives Sir Michael Barber, Richard Montgomery meet Shahbaz.

LAHORE:

Terrorism, extremism and sectarianism can be eliminated through universal education, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Thursday.

He was presiding over a meeting on the Punjab School Reforms Roadmap on Thursday. Special representative of British Department for International Development (DFID) Sir Michael Barber and DFID head in Pakistan Richard Montgomery were also present.

“Success in the war against poverty, unemployment and terrorism depends upon promotion of education. Maximum funds are being provided for this purpose,” Sharif said.

He said that the reforms roadmap was yielding positive results for the uplift of education sector. “In the next phase of the programme, target has been set to enroll every child of the province by 2018,” he said.

“New targets have been set under the Punjab School Reforms Roadmap. The 18-point roadmap will have to be implemented in letter and spirit for achieving all the targets by 2018. A spirit of hard work and commitment is required for achieving the new targets,” he said.

The chief minister said that education was the key to progress and prosperity. “The aim of national development and progress cannot be achieved without promotion of education,” he said.

Shahbaz Sharif said that education could help promote tolerance, harmony and brotherhood in society. “The government attaches high importance to the uplift of education sector and has taken revolutionary measures for this purpose,” he said.

“Efforts should be made under the strategy evolved for achieving the targets of enrollment. Comprehensive measures should be taken to accelerate enrollment campaign in the districts of south Punjab,” he said.

He said that the scope of the Punjab Education Foundation programme should also be expanded for the achievement of the enrollment targets. “Maintaining continuity of enrollment is a challenge. Effective measures should be taken in the right direction for this purpose,” he said. The chief minister said that due attention should be paid to quality education in schools. “A comprehensive programme should be evolved for the training of teachers on modern lines and immediate implementation of the programme should be ensured,” he said.

He said that efforts should be taken for providing quality education to the children. He approved recruitment of assistant education officers for improving leadership at schools. He said that recruitment process should be completed quickly and in a transparent manner.

Referring to the attack on the army school in Peshawar, the chief minister said that the terrorists had committed a barbaric act. “The brutality is unprecedented. However, the nation has united against terrorism and extremism due to the sacrifices of the martyrs,” he said.

Barber, Montgomery and their team strongly condemned the Peshawar attack and expressed sympathy with the families of the martyred children and teachers.

Barber said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had taken effective measures for the promotion of education in the province.

“Punjab government is making positive efforts for the uplift of education sector,” he said.

Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed, Ruffin Julius, the chief secretary, Punjab Education Foundation Chairman Qamarul Islam, the Planning and Development Board chairman, secretaries of Finance and School Education Departments and members of School Reforms Roadmap team were present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.