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March29,2014

Rt.HonourableMr.GordonBrown,SpecialEnvoyoftheUNSecretaryGeneralonEducation,
FinanceMinisterIshaqDar

GovPunjabChSarwar

MOSEducationMr.BalighurRehman
GovKPEngineerShaukatullah
FederalandProvincialMinisters
MembersParliament
AssalamoAlaikumandGoodMorning!
IamdelightedandfeelhonoredtoinauguratetheConferenceUnfinishedAgendainEducation:theWayForwardandwelcomeallofyou,
whohavegatheredhereforthisnoblecause.
Theholdingofthisimportanteventwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthestrongcommitment,personalinterestanddedicatedeffortsby
Rt.HonourableMr.GordonBrownwhoisalsopresentamongstustoday.
ItwasduringourmeetinginNewYorklastyear,onthesidelinesoftheUNGeneralAssemblywhenMr.GordonBrownandIagreedtohold
anInternationalConferenceonEducationinPakistan.
IwouldliketoconveymydeepestappreciationandsincerethankstoMr.GordonBrownandhisteamformakingitpossibleforus,togather
heretodaytodeliberateuponasubject,whichisofthehighestpriorityforusall.
ThepresenceofthedistinguisheddelegatesfromtheUNagencies,internationaldonors,NGOs,representativesfromtheprivatesector,
educationists,businessleadersandourdevelopmentpartnersisindeedreassuringforus.Ithankyouallforyoursupportandcooperation.
Itismyhopethatthishistoricconference,whilebringingtogetherallthestakeholdersunderthesameroof,wouldserveasacatalystin
acceleratingthepaceofprogressinthefieldofeducationinPakistan.
LadiesandGentlemen,
Today,democracyisgainingastrongholdinPakistan.Butdemocracyisnotjustaboutcastingandcountingvotesit,infact,isaculture,a
cultureofdialogue,acultureofunderstanding,oftoleratingdivergentviewpointsandacultureofrespectingeachother.
Thesmoothtransitionfromonedemocraticallyelectedgovernmenttoanotheristhestart,buttheactualfruitsofdemocracyhaveyettoreach
theelectorate.Wewanttostrengthendemocraticnorms,tobeabletotoleratedifferingopinionsandtounderstandthateveryonehasthe
righttoexpresshisviews.Anditwouldonlybepossiblethrougheducation.IdreamofaPakistanwhereeverycitizengetseducatedinthe
realsenseandtherebycontributestothedevelopmentofthecountry.
PakistansconstitutionisbasedonIslamicprinciples,andacquiringeducationisourreligiousobligation.Islamguideseverymanandwoman
togetenlightened.SuchistheimportanceofeducationthatourHolyProphetMuhammad(Peacebeuponhim)decidedtofreethose
prisonerswhowouldteachtheMuslimshowtoreadandwrite.
LadiesandGentlemen!
IbelievethatEducationisnotanexpensebutaninvestmentintothefuture.Rather,itisthebestinvestmentanindividual,parentornation
canmake.
Ourobjectiveistodevelopaneducationalsystemthatiscompatiblewiththerequirementsofaknowledgebasedeconomy.Scienceand
technologyareenginesofgrowthinmoderneconomiesandtheymustbeanintegralpartofoureducationsystem.Thisincludesvocational
trainingandeducationinmodernskills,likeInformationTechnology.
Ifeelthatoureducationpolicymustprioritizefemaleeducationinordertoclosethegendergap.Wealsoneedtoensureeffective
participationofwomeninthedecisionmakingprocessandtoprotecttheirrespectanddignity.
InPakistan,Womenarealreadyplayingaprominentroleineducationasteachers,astalentedstudents,andinothervariousothercapacities
indifferentfieldsoflife.
LadiesandGentlemen,
ForPakistan,educationisnotmerelyamatterofpriority,but,itisthefutureofPakistan,whichliesinitseducatedYouth.
Ithas,infact,becomeanationalemergency.Morethanhalfofthecountryspopulationisbelow25yearsofage.Withpropereducationand
training,thishugereservoirofhumancapitalcanofferusanedgeintheraceforgrowthandprosperityintheageofglobalization.Without
education,thisresourcecanturnintoaburden.
Asacountryprogressingonpathofdevelopment,Pakistanneedsskilled,highlyeducatedandmotivatedyouthtocompeteinthepresent
globalenvironment.
LadiesandGentlemen,
WestronglyfeelthatknowledgeshouldbecomethekeydriverofsocioeconomicdevelopmentinPakistaninthe21stcentury.
Educationisakeycomponentofthegovernmentscomprehensiveframeworkforsocialchange.Ourprimaryconcernsineducationarelow
budgetaryallocationstowardseducation,averyhighnumberofoutofschoolchildren,highdropoutrates,genderdisparity,lowliteracyrate
andrealizingtheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)andEducationforAll(EFA)targets.
Educationisaprovincialsubjectunderthe18thAmendment,but,regardlessofthis,thereisanationalconsensusontheneedforreformand
modernizationofthecountryseducationalsystemtobringitatparwiththenationalprioritiesandinternationalstandards.Allprovincial
governmentshavejoinedhandswiththeFederalGovernmenttoidentifykeychallengesanddeterminethewayforward.
TheFederalMinistryofEducation,TrainingandStandardsinHigherEducationhasrecentlylaunchedaNationalPlanofActionin
collaborationwiththeProvincialgovernments,whichprovidesaframeworkforacceleratedprogresstowardsachievingtheMillennium

DevelopmentGoals.
ThegovernmentalsoplanstolaunchaLiteracyMovementinthecountry,alongwithapackageofincentives,toensurethateverychildof
schoolgoingageisenrolledinschool.
IhaveaskedthePlanningCommissiontogiveeducationtoppriorityinourprospectiveplanknownasVision2025.
OureffortistoachievethetargetssetbyEducationforAll(EFA)andMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)withinthecomingthreeyears.
AkeytargetsetbyUNESCOistoincreaseresourcesfortheeducationsectortoreach4%ofGDPbytheyear2018.
LadiesandGentlemen,
Theprivatesectortoo,isplayinganincreasinglyimportantroleinthefieldofeducation.Outofthe14.4millionprimarystageenrolments,4.8
millioni.e.34%areenrolledinprivatesectorschools.Privatesectorshareismuchhigheratthelowermiddleandsecondarylevels.
OfequalimportanceisthelaudableroleoftheUNagencies,ledbyUNESCO,NGOsandcivilsocietyorganizations,socialorganizations,
philanthropists,religiousinstitutions,deliveryagents,anddonorscommunityingeneralwhoaresharingasignificantportionoffunding
educationinPakistan.
Iinviteyoualltojoinusinourmissiontoeducateandtrainouryouth.Ihavenodoubtthattheycanturnaroundallourchallengesinto
opportunities.Theyalsohavethepotentialtocontributeimmenselyandpositivelytoworldpeaceandprosperity.
Letusjoinourhandstogethertomakingthiscountryamodernwelfarestate,whereeverycitizenhasaccesstoequalopportunitiesand
whereeveryonehastherighttoliveinpeaceanddignity,withoutanydiscriminationonthebasisofcolour,creedorgender.
LadiesandGentlemen,
IonceagainthankMr.GordonBrown,histeam,andallofyouforsparingtimeforthisvaluableinteractioninanefforttohelpPakistandevise
andimplementitsshortandlongtermstrategies,inthefieldofeducation.
ThistimelyConferenceprovidesuswithauniqueopportunitytodevelopeffectivecoordinationmechanismstogeneratepowerfulsynergies
foracceleratedprogressinachievingourtargets,includingtheMDGs.
IalsocongratulatetheMinistryofEducation,TrainingsandStandardsinHigherEducationforcoordinatingandhostingthisimportantevent.
Iassureyouthatthefederalandprovincialgovernmentswillextendtoyoutheirfullestcooperationinthisregardandwishyousuccessin
yourdeliberations.
Ithankyou

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