ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said a new education policy, with a major focus on the promotion of scientific education and equal opportunities for all would be unfurled soon. Speaking at the first convocation of Islamabad Model College for Girls F-10/2, he said the new policy was being firmed up in consultation with all stakeholders.
The prime minister said education was the first step towards creation of a civilised society.
‘Any nation that does not strive hard to achieve 100 per cent literacy rate, tends to leave behind in the race of development,’ he said.
‘Today all over the world every nation invests maximum resources to educate its citizens to fully equip them to contribute in nation building as a productive member of the society.’ He noted that this was essential for sustainable economic growth, which in turn, was essential for creation of a prosperous society.
Mr Gilani said the government was fully alive to the importance of education and understood the educational needs of the country. The government is endeavouring to enhance the literacy rate, he added.
‘Our focus is on creating opportunities for meaningful education and skill development among youth; the female youth is not out of this focus.’
The premier pointed out that the budgetary allocation for overall education programme had been increased to Rs31.1 billion from last year’s Rs24.4 billion.
He said women in Pakistan traditionally possessed strong nerves. ‘In testing hours, they have always displayed sterling qualities of head and heart.’
He recalled the October 2005 earthquake when the affected women braved not only the tremors, but also fought back to overcome the consequences of the deadly earthquake.
He said the women were again facing a very difficult situation, now in Malakand Division. Displaying the typical character of Pakistani women, they have been facing a difficult situation with exemplary courage and patience, caused to them before and in the aftermath of the operation, Mr Gilani said.
‘I appreciated women of Malakand and other the parts of NWFP for displaying fortitude, courage and understanding in this hour of adversity and crisis.’
‘Let me reassure them that they are not alone to face the crisis; the entire nation stands behind them like a rock. I assure them that they will soon go back to their homes with honour and peace.’
Terming women as an important segment of the society, he said they constituted almost half, and in many cases more than half of any country’s population.
‘We cannot neglect them if we want to accelerate the pace of development in the country. We must not forget that only those nations progressed and prospered that ensured active participation of women in nation building’. He said the government had been doing its utmost to bring the women population into the mainstream, provide them equal access to education, create equal job opportunities and ensure respectable working conditions for them.
He said Benazir Bhutto had a vision of gender equality and women empowerment and she always fought to translate her vision into a reality. The government was committed to pursuing the ideals set by the assassinated leader.
Mr Gilani said the budgetary allocations for gender-related projects over the last two years reflected government’s commitment to this end. Benazir Income Support Programme is another initiative to reduce gender inequality in the society.
‘We have also undertaken an Engendering Budget Exercise under the Mid-Term Budgeting Framework. These steps, I am sure, are bound to improve living conditions of our womenfolk.’
Later, the prime minister gave away prizes and certificates to the position holders. They included Mehwish Nawaz (BSc) and Noorul Ain Qureshi (BA) of session 2004-06, Kiran Zeb Abbasi (BSc) and Sitwat Fatima (BA) of session 2005-07 and Huma Zainab (BSc) and Tooba Asif (BA) of session 2006-08.
Minister of State for Education Mahar Ghulam Farid Kathia, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Acting Secretary Education Shahid Ahmad and Federal Directorate of Education Director General Atiqur Rehman were also present on the occasion.
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