Promotion of languages among students stressed

Islamabad: Minister for Education and Professional Training Engineer Muhammad Balighur Rehman on Wednesday suggested that the Inter-Provincial Ministers Conference start a programme at regional levels making it compulsory for students to learn at least two languages other than national and local ones. He was addressing the ninth convocation at the National University of Modern Languages here.

The minister said though education was a devolved subject, the federal government in consultation with the provinces was striving for its development. He said the government was providing Rs107 billion to the universities through the Higher Education Commission for their development, while the Prime Minister and Punjab Chief Minister's laptop schemes had benefited the students of higher education. The minister said the prudent policies of the government had strengthened Pakistan economically with the growth rate reaching 5.28 per cent.

He said international institutions and organisations had acknowledged the economic stability of Pakistan. The minister highlighted the importance of languages and said researchers had proved that the trend to learn new languages played a vital role in the development of any country.

"Learning more languages could enhance one’s critical and analytical thinking,” he said. The minister praised the NUML for its efforts in the promotion of modern education and languages and urged its students to provide their services for the language programmes to be initiated at the regional level.

He said the students, who learned how to care for others, would become great leaders. NUML Rector Major General (r) Ziauddin Najam said the university would soon open a campus in Bahawalpur, the hometown of the education minister.

The minister later gave away degrees and medals to the outstanding students from among 129 graduates of different courses. NUML Director General Muhammad Ibrahim, faculty members, parents and students attended the event.