Primary teachers to be inducted in Punjab seminaries

Islamabad
The Ministry of Education has decided to induct primary teachers in 100 seminaries in various parts of Punjab under a pilot project for providing primary education to ‘madrassa’ students.
Minister of State for Education and Profession Training, Interior and Narcotics Control Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman stated this here on Wednesday while chatting with journalists at the 30th Medal & Prize Distribution Ceremony 2014 for the position-holders of Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate annual examinations held under the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE).
He said that students are getting religious education in seminaries. With the induction of teachers, they would also get primary education. Besides this, he said that the education ministry is thankful to both Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Senator Ahsan Iqbal for allocating an amount of Rs50 million to it for forming the National Curriculum Council in the country. “The council, which has been formed, would work on enforcing one curriculum at minimum level in all educational institutions,” he added.
In addition to making efforts for the promotion of education, the ministry is working on giving students technical education and vocational training. For this purpose, the education ministry has prepared a comprehensive National Technical Education and Vocational Training Policy, which would be announced soon.
Earlier, addressing the participants of the ceremony, the minister appreciated the role of Federal Directorate of Education and said that there is still room for improvement in the system. In this regard, all private educational institutions should be affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.
Moreover, he said that the ministry is working on a plan to introduce ‘O’ and ‘A’ level system in the FBISE to make the education level at par with the standard of Cambridge and Oxford universities.
Congratulating top position-holders, Baligh ur Rehman remarked that proud achievements of the recipients of medals are the result of their unremitting devotion to their studies, steadfast guidance of their teachers, parents, congenial environment provided by the institutions and of course a transparent and fair system of examination of the FBISE.
He congratulated parents and teachers, whose concerted efforts made the difference. He said that no nation on the globe could catch up with the advanced nations of the world unless education was given due importance. Education alone opens windows of opportunity for the youth to advance in different fields. The government of PML-N being fully conscious of this fact is making all-out efforts to achieve its mission despite financial constraints.
Earlier, FBISE Chairman Dr. Ikram Ali Malik, while terming students as future of Pakistan, stressed upon them to recognise and acknowledge the contribution of those millions of Pakistanis who have been real financiers of their education as taxpayers. Acquisition of meaningful education is the only way to reciprocate them in future for societal development. He informed that the FBISE has shifted its focus from quantitative progression to qualitative improvement of education to match in-house talent with growing needs of the market. This paradigm shift is expected to be reinforced by all stakeholders in general and affiliated institutions in particular.