QUETTA: Balochistan Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai has called for introducing syllabus in local languages for improving the standard of education in the country.

Speaking at the 5th Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference here on Monday, the governor said poverty and ignorance were major causes of uncivilised attitude of people.

He said the primary education in Balochistan was based on one teacher and one room school system which must be changed to improve the standard of education in the province.

Also read: War on language

Mr Achakzai said as compared to other Saarc countries literacy rate in Pakistan was low and the rate of school dropouts was high.

He said England, Japan and China introduced reforms in their education system to use skills and talent of their youth in a better way.

The governor stressed the need for introducing syllabus in local languages in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so that children could understand their subjects in a better way. There are Sindhi medium schools in Sindh which are playing an important role for the promotion of education in the province.

He said representatives of local governments should be included in the policy making process for education.

Federal Minister of State for Education Eng. Mohammad Balighur Rehman underlined the need for dedicating 10 per cent of secondary schools for vocational education across the country.

He said during a visit to Germany he was informed that about 30 per cent of German students were getting vocational and technical education. In Germany students of Class VII have to decide whether they will go for commerce, technology or any other discipline. In Pakistan, he added, only one per cent of students were enrolled for vocational education.

The minister said the government had planned to establish vocational and technical schools under the public-private partnership in collaboration with National Education Foundation.

He called upon universities to share their computer science curriculum and research works with the Ministry of Education and other government departments so that they could benefit from them.

He said the government had launched the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and National Education Policy (NEP) for the promotion of education in the country. He emphasised the need for implementing the national education policy in letter and spirit.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2015

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