ISLAMABAD:  Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain hosted the female beat reporters here at the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Friday. He praised the work of female journalists and appreciated their contribution towards the field of journalism. He acknowledged the role played by women in the progress of the country. He highlighted and encouraged the female reporters to continue with their contribution towards journalism. He said the role of women is critical in the development of any sector of Pakistan especially education.

 

The Minister briefed the reporters about the various initiatives taken by the ministry to uplift the standard of education and the scope of access to education. He said one of the biggest challenges that education sector in Pakistan faces is the Out of School Children. He said there are approximately 22.8 million out of school children, which is amongst the highest in the world. He said a primary objective of the current government is to focus on reducing this number. Rana Tanveer Hussain said that there are more than 16 thousand out of school children in the Federal Capital. He reiterated his resolve to bring this number down and make the federal territory a model for the rest of the country to follow.

 

He said only through education we can uplift our country and address the current woes. He highlighted the initiative of School on Wheels and said the purpose of this initiative is to reach the students where there is lack of infrastructure or the students that do not have the financial ability to go to schools.

 

The Minister said that this initiative in the future will be able to accommodate disaster affected population as well. He said Pakistan requires unique solutions to the problems and the current government is fully utilizing its resources to address the issues of the public effectively and efficiently. He said we should focus on improving institutional governance, curriculum, access and quality, teaching and research practices, industry-academia linkages, and climate change adaptation. Rana Tanveer Hussain said that it is a reality-whether we like it or not-most stakeholders complain that our education system does not equip the students with the knowledge, experience, skills, or values needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

 

He said it is clear to everyone that business as usual is not an option to reverse this trend and we need to be bold, innovative, and committed to achieve the three-fold objective of improving access, quality, and relevance of our higher education. Concluding his remarks, the Minister said that we as a nation need to empower the women of our country so that they can become a productive citizens of our country.