Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday said education was at the forefront of the present government’s agenda. Abbasi is in New York to attend the 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.
His statement came during his meeting on the UNGA sidelines with Malala Yousafzai, celebrated Pakistani Noble laureate and education activist who now lives in England. Malala was in New York to attend a UN event.
During the meeting Malala expressed her desire to promote education in Pakistan, especially girls’ education in Swat. She hoped PM Abbasi would become a champion of education advocacy in Pakistan and lauded his commitment to promote education in the country.
Abbasi also praised Malala’s commitment to the cause of education. He said the government realized that no investment would yield fruit without proper investment in the education sector. The PM said the sector had seen improvements in the last four years. However, the government was aware of the challenges faced by the education sector in the country and efforts were underway to overcome them, he added.
Abbasi said he had asked all chief ministers to devote their efforts for promoting education across the country. The PM said the government was considering making mathematics, history and sciences as core parts of the curriculum in an effort to promote analytical skills in students.
Separately, Malala called upon world leaders, philanthropists and leading NGOs to invest in education for refugee kids and girls. Speaking at the 6th Annual Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy on Tuesday, she said the world was losing a ‘big resource’.
After being severely wounded by the Taliban in Swat in 2012 for speaking up for girls’ right to education, Malala has become an international education activist. She set up the Malala Fund in 2013 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
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