Plan urged to ensure framework for education

Islamabad
Youth activists, parliamentarians and civil society experts urged the state to formulate a national plan to ensure a framework for education following the deadline of the targets for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA).
The conference was part of a two-day series of consultations organised by Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) in collaboration with Beydaar Society.
The inaugural session featured youth activists from across the nation debating on the post-2015 education agenda in the context of the deadline of the MDGs and EFA. The inaugural session was chaired by MP Shiza Fatima.
The Millennium Development Goals and EFA were agreed upon by international communities in 2000. These specified a series of goals that had specific targets and indicators on education, focusing on equity and gender, with a deadline of 2015. However, most developing nations have not been able to meet many of these goals, such as Pakistan – which has a 0 per cent chance of meeting any of the goals on education. With a literacy rate of 60 per cent and a severe gender disparity, participants at the conference urged the state to focus on a development agenda that looks beyond the deadline for 2015.
The conference also featured a panel discussion which took into account the perspectives of prominent civil society experts representing various organizations. “We need to take initiative, and the youth of Pakistan can help with ensuring that the educational system of this nation is transformed,” remarked Farkhanda Aurangzeb, the director of Aurat Foundation.
“Women's empowerment is tantamount to ensuring quality education for all. We must teach our girls and ensure that they are part of the workforce,” stated Maryam Bibi, the executive director of KhwendoKor, an organisation working on female empowerment in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The government representatives present at the conference included Dr. Saleem Ullah, who heads the Right to Education Implementation Wing at the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).