ISLAMABAD: Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Wednesday said the government’s main target was to achieve 100pc literacy rate in the federal capital.

Speaking at a prize distribution ceremony for annual centralised exams of classes five to eight at Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG), F-6/2, the minister said efforts were being made to achieve 100pc literary rate in capital.

He advised all students to work hard and appreciated the efforts of both the teachers and students. Parliamentary Secretary of Education Zeb Jafar, Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Dr Ikram Ali Malik and Principal Prof Aliya Durrani also spoke on the occasion. Mr Malik also gave a presentation to the minister on the targets and achievements of the FDE.

The minister later handed over cash prizes to the position-holders, with Rs100,000 given to the student who bagged the first position, Rs70,000 to the student who came in second, Rs50,000 to the third position holder and Rs10,000 each to students who secured the positions from fourth to 10th.

Overall 500 students from classes five to eight bagged scholarships, with the FDE giving Rs3,600 each per annum to students who would appear in the matric exam and Rs2,400 each per annum to students from classes six to eight.

Zara Zulfiqar from IMCG got the first position in the class eight exam while the second slot was shared by Mohammad Aneer from Ali Trust Khanna School and Ajmal Khan of the same institution. Mohammad Saleh also from the same school came in third.

Similarly, in class five exams, Abrish Furqan from IMCG, F-6/2, stood first while the second position was shared by Alisha Kamran of the same institution and Kiran Shehzadi from Global School System Sohan Islamabad.

Similarly, two students — Zarlish Eman from Faizan Public School Rawat and Minahil Tabassum from Farhan Public School, G-11/2 - shared third positions.

According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2021-22, the country’s overall literacy rate was recorded at 63pc. The survey had also pointed out that only 1.77pc of the GDP was spent on education last year.

On the other hand, an educationist was of the view that achieving 100pc literary rate in Islamabad was an uphill task and required comprehensive planning.

He said there were thousands of out-of-school children in the capital, therefore, the ministry as well as the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) should focus on bringing such children back to school.

An official of the FDE said the directorate was already working on the out-of-school children in collaboration with the education ministry, adding that all education institutions had been directed to increase enrollment and pay special focus on such children.

Asked about inadequate facilities and shortage of teachers, the official said recently the FDE recruited over 300 teachers through a government-owned testing service while a requisition against 659 vacant posts had already been forwarded to the Federal Public Service Commission.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2022