President calls for better budgetary share for education

Islamabad

President Mamnoon Hussain has underlined the need to increase the share of education budget to four per cent of the GDP for better literacy rate. The president was talking to Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Balighur Rehman, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr here on Tuesday. Makhdoom Adeelur Rehman, coordinator of Prime Minister’s Youth Programme was also present.

The president stressed upon public-private partnership, which he said was a non-formal model, to supplement public sector efforts in the education field to spread quality education across the country.

“A viable strategy needs to be evolved by the Higher Education Commission to meet the challenges posed by the youths in Pakistan. There should also be promotion of volunteerism in educational institutions to encourage services in social sector,” he said.

The president commended Minister of State for Federal Education & Professional Training for his personal interest in preparation of national educational curriculum and legislation to make Quranic teachings part of curriculum.

He appreciated the Fee Re-imbursement Scheme for deserving students under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and said such initiatives would not only encourage needy students to pursue their educational careers but also promote education in the country. The president asked the minister to expedite implementation of educational programmes for tangible results and assured of his full support and cooperation in this regard.

He called for removing all illegal encroachments on Quaid-i-Azam University’s land so that the university campus can be effectively used for educational purposes. The minister briefed the president about various educational initiatives of the government for quality human resource development and about matters relating to his Ministry.