ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ms Jane Marriott called on the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to discuss the challenges and opportunities being faced by the country in the education sector.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the Ministry of Education is working on a programme that aims to declare education emergency in Pakistan.

He said that the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan is ballooning and the only way to address this issue is by making it a national agenda.

The minister said that due to rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation slums in major cities are propping up. He said that these slums are ignored in every education policy.

He highlighted the importance of ensuring that no child should be left behind. He encouraged the UK to provide support in the cause of eliminating out-of-school children.

“We are burning the midnight oil in ensuring that the cause of education becomes one of the main agendas of national effort towards progress”. Ms Jane Marriott, British High Commissioner to Pakistan said that UK and Pakistan are the oldest partners and have been shoulder to shoulder since 1947.

She informed the minister that the UK encourages expansion of its green programme which can lead to an increase in enrolment of Pakistani students in UK universities via distance learning.

Secretary of Education Mohyuddin Wani highlighted that the Ministry of Education is developing a comprehensive plan which will declare an education emergency in the country and will furthermore align all the stakeholders on the same page.

Khalid Maqbool said that we have set a target to train one million youth in the IT sector. He said that he hopes that in the medium term, Pakistan will become one of the biggest suppliers of IT professionals to the world. He asked the UK to help in attaining IT certification for this IT-trained professional that would be recognised globally.

Furthermore, he said that the mental health of our students must be also catered to by professionals. He said that the education ministry aims to establish mental health awareness and support desks in all of the colleges in Islamabad.

James Hompson, Country Director British Council told the minister that after China the biggest British Council Programme is in Pakistan.

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