ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that the biggest asset of the country is its people and when they are not educated, not only will that asset be wasted but it is also cruelty and injustice that they will not be given a chance to rise.
Addressing the inaugural function of the Ehsaas Educational Scholarship Programme, he said that there are two main aspects of the programme (stipends): The first is to provide basic education to 20 million out-of-school children in the country; it is a great tragedy that so many children do not go to school.
The prime minister said that the programme was offering a solution to the problem of bringing children to school, a problem that mostly affects poor families, so they would be given compensation and benefits. He pointed out that most out-of-school children are girls. “We did not give importance to education, while girls' education was not given much importance due to which we lost so much of our assets,” he pointed out.
Imran Khan added, “An educated woman benefits society more than a man because she educates her children, changes the home system and has a great impact on society for the health and better care of children at home. More incentives have been given to girls in the Ehsaas programme, the education stipend for boys is Rs1,500 while for girls it is Rs2,000.”
He emphasised that there was an impression in the Western countries that “it was not like we don't want to educate our daughters. I have been to all parts of Pakistan. Hardly anyone has seen Pakistan as I have seen it. There is no area where parents do not want their daughters to be educated”.
The prime minister said that there are various problems in the education of girls, sometimes schools are far away or there are no teachers, but it was the responsibility of the government to provide facilities which were not provided earlier. “I especially appreciate that we should encourage girls to come to school,” he contended.
Under the Ehsaas Educational Scholarship Programme, children from poor and needy families of the society will be given scholarships for primary, secondary and higher secondary education. A statement issued by the PM Office says the programme will be launched in all the districts of the country. Girls will get higher stipend than boys to encourage their participation in schools.
Under the programme, Rs1,500 for primary school boys and Rs2,000 for girls will be given on a quarterly basis. Secondary school boys will get Rs2,500 and girls Rs3,000, while higher secondary boys will get Rs3,500 and girls Rs4,000 quarterly. The scholarships will be given through biometrics to mothers of children with 70 percent school attendance.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Governor Syed Zahoor Agha met Prime Minister Imran Khan here and discussed law and order situation and ongoing development projects. Imran Khan directed all stakeholders into confidence for further improvement in law and order situation in Balochistan.
“The government is taking steps for the development and prosperity of the people of Balochistan. For the first time in history, a big development package was presented to the people of Balochistan,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan shared some good news on tax collection, as the FBR collected Rs850 billion during July and August 2021, exceeding its own target by 23 percent and reflecting growth of 51 percent in revenue over the same period last year.
In a tweet, the prime minister said, “Good news on tax collection. FBR collected Rs850b during July & August 2021, exceeding its own target figure by 23% & reflecting growth of 51% in revenue over the same period last year. At present rate, annual collection target of Rs.5,829b will be comfortably achieved InshaAllah.”
Meanwhile, Imran Khan chaired a review meeting on issues related to the promotion of higher education in the country. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Special Assistant Dr Shahbaz Gill, deputy chairman Planning Commission and other senior officials.
The meeting was informed that for the current financial year 2021-22, the Higher Education Commission has allocated Rs42 billion for the implementation of 168 projects for the promotion of higher education in the country. Among these projects, 128 are ongoing and 40 new projects, valuing Rs12 billion.
The prime minister directed the concerned authorities to complete the important projects for the promotion of higher education on priority basis. He also gave direction to review the Higher Education Commission-assisted scholarship programme to ensure efficient utilisation of national resources.
He directed to ensure high quality education in the various universities run by the federal government in the provinces and to set up a system to make the best use of the financial resources provided by the Federation. He directed to introduce a penal system in relation to the education system and universities to ensure effective implementation of government policies for the promotion of higher education.