Role of girls in imparting education to disadvantaged children lauded

Islamabad
Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman appreciated the role of girls in imparting education to the disadvantaged children through interactive and modern teaching techniques under Children’s Global Network Pakistan (CGNP) programme.
Speaking at a seminar titled ‘Catalysing Pakistan Youth to Tackle Education Emergency’ on Monday, he said that girls are in the forefront in CGNP program in which 25,000 disadvantaged children have been able to get access to education.
The CGNP programme engages youth to open schools where there is a lack of schooling facility by initiating sustainable model ‘Skills for Employability-Training Educational Entrepreneurs.’ This model initiated in Southern Punjab is now expanded to Kyber Pakhtunkhawah. “Around 75 per cent of youth engaged in this program is girls,” said the State Minister. The 12-week CGN training program gives entrepreneurship training to youth and the confidence to enter the entrepreneurial arena.
Minister of State said that the Children’s Global Network Pakistan has identified, facilitated and trained youth in opening community centres, coaching centres and low cost private schools. “The program has addressed the challenges of not only unemployment but also education crisis and its two-pronged approach in resolving both issues makes it a role model that needs be adopted and implemented in other areas,” he said.
He termed education entrepreneurs a source of pride for the country. “They have created self-employability opportunities with limited financial resources and are actively engaged in creating employment opportunities for other youth in their ventures,” commended the state minister.
The minister of state emphasised that education systems must expand access to quality education at secondary and tertiary levels, as well as to technical and vocational education and training, which is a viable avenue for youth who had poor quality basic education or no chance at all to acquire skills for work and life.
“These policies must ensure that stronger links are made between the learning outcomes and skills achieved through education and training and the needs and prospects of young people and adults in the professional world,” said the minister.
The Minister of State said that it is important that Pakistani youth capitalize the situational demand and adopt the opportunity to play a proactive role in the education sector. “It is this youth that will promote the name of Pakistan at an international level and will contribute positively to Pakistan’s economy in the future,” he said.
Press release adds: The other guests on the panel included Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan Provincial Minister of Education Punjab, Bushra Gohar Senior Politician and Media Advisor ANP, Faisal Bari CEO & Research Fellow, Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives (IDEA), Amir Hussain General Manager Education PPAF, Mosharraf Zaidi lead Alif Ailan, Barbera Payne Senior Education Advisor, Jaweria Ahmed Entrepreneur CGNP and Mehnaz Aziz, Chief Executive Children’s Global Network Pakistan.
Punjab Minister for Education Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan during the panel discussion shared that Punjab is the first province to have its own youth policy and that we are improving quality of education introducing nurseries and Early childhood education, building capacities of teachers and doing maximum to improve education.
Bushra Gohar said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a dynamic society where opportunities have been created. “Our youth is also very dynamic. Vertical education system should not be created. Provinces should be given independence to work on their own,” she added.
Earlier, Mehnaz Aziz, Chief Executive and Founding Director Children’s Global Network Pakistan briefly gave an introduction of the programme ‘Skills for Employability-Training Educational Entrepreneurs KPK’. Through this programme she said approximately 913 youth with 75 per cent females have learnt entrepreneurship and school management skills. The education entrepreneurship programme has identified, facilitated and trained youth in opening ECE community centres, coaching centres and low cost private schools. 228 educational institutions have been initiated with 67 per cent in rural areas while the remaining 33 per cent are in urban marginalised slums of Mardan, Swabi, Noshera and Peshawar. The other speakers also appreciated the Social Education Program for youth.
During the panel discussion it was suggested that youth and entrepreneurs should be linked to Benazir Income Support Program, Micro Finance Banks and PM Youth Loan Scheme so that the youth is able to carry on their work without worrying about finances.