ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Coalition of Education (PCE) calls upon the federal and provincial governments to honour the international commitments that serves the Sustainable Development Goal 4 i.e., “to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
In a statement issued in connection with International Literacy Day, PCE said that literacy enables an individual to engage in critical thinking so that they identify, understand, interpret the decisions regarding their lives and explore the answers. Literacy rate of Pakistan has been steadily increasing from 25.7 percent in 1981 to 59.1 percent in 2017.
This increase is very slow as compared to regional countries and therefore signifies the importance of educating the children for the prosperity of the entire nation, it added.
The SDG 4 provides a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It is a direction both federal and provincial governments must take in order to increase the overall literacy rate in Pakistan so that we can meet the internationally acceptable benchmarks.
The government must ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
It is the responsibility of the government to provide access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education to all the boys and girls so that they are ready for primary education.
Sustainable development of the education sector requires equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
However, progress is not possible unless an enabling environment towards equality is sustained in the society, the statement said.
The government of Pakistan along with provincial governments must eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.
On this literacy day, let us pledge to work together to bring the 22.8 million out of school children back into the education system and ensure that federal and provincial governments honour the SDGs’ & financing commitments to meet the challenges.
You must concentrate on gaining knowledge and education. It is your foremost responsibility. Education is a matter of life and death for our country.