‘Focus youth issues before it’s too late’

LAHORE

Pardee School for Global Studies, Boston University,  Dean and LUMS former Vice-Chancellor Dr Najam has said that 64 percent of Pakistan’s population is under 30 and there is a  need to focus on their issues before it is too late.

Dr Najam who is the author of the Pakistan National Human Development Report spoke about the main focus of the report i.e., youth at the Centre for Governance and Policy of the Information Technology University (ITU) here on Friday.

According to him, youth development and job creation need to be at the centre of all policy making in Pakistan. He raised three questions: ‘What does it mean to be young in Pakistan?’; ‘Is the youth a demographic boom or bust?’ and ‘Who will decide the future of those who will decide the future of this country?’ 

In order to address the three questions, Dr Najam identified three key levers of change: education, employment and engagement. In education, Dr Najam said often he was more concerned about the students in school than the ones outside it.

“After all the students who were killed in Charsadda were not much different in age than the ones who massacred them,” he noted. He explained that the current rate of growth in education enrolment was about one percent and at this rate it would be the year 2076 to achieve full enrolment. “The rate of growth needs to be at four percent for full enrolment to be reached by 2030—a very uphill task”, he added.

Dr Najam concluded, "We need to be cognisant of youth issues in Pakistan, before it becomes a problem for us.

Facilities: The construction of sheds outside Lahore General Hospital (LGH) and Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences has been completed with the financial assistance of Patients Welfare Association, Ferozpur Road Welfare Organisation and other philanthropists.

The hospital administration is also planning construction of public bath rooms and wash rooms in the coming weeks.

Postgraduate Medical Institute and LGH Principal Prof Khalid Mahmood said that in accordance with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the process of provision of basic medical facilities to patients and their attendants had been further advanced through the construction of the sheds.

He said that benches, fans and drinking water would be available under these sheds. He said that a waiting room for attendants was going to be completed very soon near Outdoor Patients Department. These projects are being completed with the financial cooperation of Ferozpur Road Welfare Organisation and other donors who had so far made available Rs 2.5 million for this noble cause.

Prof. Khalid Mahmood said that there was no greater service than serving the ailing humanity and those who were working for this mission were the heroes of society.

Food safety: Punjab University Institute of Agricultural Sciences organised an event with the theme of food safety, food crises and malnutrition.

PU Faculty of Life Sciences Dean Prof Dr Naeem Khan was the chief guest on the occasion while guests from different industries were also present.

A seminar was also held by the students of Food Science and Technology. The students participated in the different competitions highlighting the theme.

Income certificateS: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has directed the schools attached with Foundation Assisted School (FAS) programme to get income certificate on plain paper from the parents/guardians of the students eligible for gratis education at the time of their admission in the primary section. 

The Punjab Education Foundation has issued further directions to the schools that they would also submit an affidavit that this year’s admissions of eligible students in the primary section had been made strictly in accordance with the prescribed policy of the PEF.

According to the circular, monthly payments to the FAS partner schools, during the academic year 2016-17, will be made according to the Student Information System (SIS) record.