Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister Federal Education and Professional Training, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Education Foundation (NEF), chaired a meeting of the Board. Esteemed board members, including senior officers from the Ministry of Education and Finance and renowned educationists attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain commended the NEF for its unwavering efforts in catering to the needs of Out of School Children (OOSC) in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). He also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing programs implemented for the disentangled group of children in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and ICT and congratulate on successfully win the UNESCO project for training non-formal teachers.
Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain highlighted the grave concern of OOSC of age 5-16 years in Pakistan, emphasizing that the country ranks at the bottom in this regard. Recognizing the severity of the challenge, the Ministry of Federal Education has launched the Zero OOSC Initiative in ICT. Under this initiative, allied departments of the Ministry, in collaboration with NGOs and the private sector, are actively working towards identifying and enrolling OOSC. He acknowledged the efforts of NEF in this regard.
The Minister set an ambitious target to enroll all OOSC in ICT, amounting to approximately 52,000 children, by June 30, 2023. To ensure retention for the children, Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain directed Ministry officials to allocate Rs. 200 million for two years to the NEF for the purpose of catering to the educational needs of OOSC in ICT.
Distinguished members of the board, including Prof. Dr. Nasir Mehmood, Vice Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University, Ms. Baela Raza Jamil, CEO of ITA, Ms. Fajar Rabia Pahsa, CEO of PAGE, Ms. Khadija Khan, CEO of PAEC, Ms. Munaza Gillani, CEO of Sightsavers, and others, expressed their appreciation for the Ministry’s initiative and efforts in tackling the issue of Out of School Children.
Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain also addressed the sorry state of the quality and applicability of education in Pakistan. He highlighted the unfortunate situation where numerous Ph.D. degree holders remain unemployed. Recognizing the global trend of investing in skills education for progress, the Ministry has prioritized skills education, quality of education, and addressing the OOSC crisis. Once all OOSC in ICT are enrolled in schools, a refined strategy will be implemented in other regions of the country.
Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain remains committed to providing accessible and quality education to every child in Pakistan. The Ministry’s proactive initiatives, collaboration with stakeholders, and targeted investments will pave the way for a brighter future for the nation’s youth.
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