Islamabad:Planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday announced the federal government's plans to establish a cutting-edge teachers training centre within two years to enhance education quality and develop a workforce aligned with modern requirements.
During the launch of the District Education Performance Index 2023 report here, the minister noted that the PML-N government had started the project but was unable to complete it due to political instability.
He said the proposed training centre, to be created in collaboration with provincial education departments, would become the premier facility in South Asia, offering high-quality education aimed at enhancing students' critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.
"This facility will represent a significant shift from rote memorisation-based learning," he said, adding the initiative will also reform the examination system. Iqbal said memorisation-based learning was outdated in today’s era, where innovation and creativity drive development.
He argued that without improving educational standards and developing human resources, the country couldn't achieve its progress and prosperity goals. "Development requires infrastructure but education is even more crucial," he said.
The minister pointed out that no country has reached significant development and prosperity without achieving at least a 90 percent literacy rate.
He said development was unattainable without meeting the universal primary education enrolment target. Iqbal also highlighted other challenges like a lack of an export-driven economy and political instability and said the fractured socioeconomic platform led the country to be placed among low-middle income and underdeveloped nations.
He underscored the need for economic and social cohesion for national development. Reflecting on past efforts, Iqbal noted that the PML-N government had introduced the Vision-2010 in 1998 and the Vision-2025 in 2013 as ambitious plans to position the country among the world's leading economies, but those initiatives were undermined by political instability.
He expressed gratitude to the UK for its contribution to the report. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who was also in attendance, emphasised the urgent need to advance quality education in Pakistan and expressed concern about the children who are out of school.
She said improving education was crucial for strengthening Pakistan's economy and supported the prime minister's initiative to declare an education emergency.
Marriott also pointed out that while Haripur district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was making notable progress in education, another district in the same province was significantly lagging.
Representatives of international organisations and senior diplomats also attended the event. Islamabad top performer: The District Education Performance Index 2023 report provided comprehensive insights into the educational landscape of Pakistan.
Notably, districts from Sindh and Balochistan provinces did not make it into the top 10 for educational performance. The rankings showed that Islamabad, along with seven districts from Punjab and two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are among the top performers.
The report recognised 134 districts for their high educational standards, while 77 districts were identified for low performance. Islamabad emerged as a leading performer. In Punjab, Jhelum, Chakwal, Haripur, Rawalpindi, and Sialkot were highlighted for their exceptional educational achievements, with Attock, Narowal, and Gujrat also demonstrating significant progress.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Haripur and Chitral districts were noted for their educational successes. The report ranked Abbottabad 11th, Karachi East 14th, Karachi Central 15th, Lahore 18th, Multan 47th, Peshawar 53rd, and Quetta 68th in educational performance.
