RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) is organizing a seminar on “Education system – Problem & Solution” in collaboration with Old Ravian Association Karachi (ORAK) on July 30, 2016 at Federation House Karachi.

This was stated by Arshad Farooq, Vice President CSR-FPCCI at a pre-seminar press briefing held at Federation house here on Tuesday.

He said that CSR department of FPCCI after realizing the grave situation of state of education & literacy in the country is holding a seminar on July 30, 2016 in collaboration with ORAK at Federation House Karachi.

He said that seminar was aimed at reviewing present situation, identify fault lines, suggest working strategies and explore financial resources to meet the educational emergency in the country to raise exponential promotion of literacy and to bring seminaries into main stream for TVET. He said that it would be a half day seminar and would witness addresses and speeches from learned and intellectuals from banks and Deeni Madaris.

Meanwhile, Commodore Sadeed A. Malik (Retd) chairman ORAK and Engr. Anwar-ul-Haq Siddiqui in their separate speeches said that the dismal standard of education was shameful and grave; adding that all 10 educational polices since 1947 had badly been failed because none of it had been implemented in true spirit.

Pakistan’s rapid population growth and the corresponding expansion of the workforce are a burden on the national economy. Millions of young people enter the job market annually, but they are unable to find work and do not contribute to national growth due to lack of relevant skills.

An effective reform of the education system in Pakistan requires a bottom-up approach. TVET linkages with industry in terms of input for curricula development are weak resulting in mismatches of supply and demand of skills. In addition to the school requirement, there is a great requirement for establishment of a large number of vocational training centers. The topic for establishing vocational training centers shall also get attracted during this seminar.

They further said that seminar would host some qualified intellectuals who shall speak and suggest ways and means to overcome this expanding gap in this field; adding that education revolution required drastic changes in the attitude toward education management, financing, curricula reform, academic flexibility, research collaboration, delegation of authority, training of young people in the fields, which were needed in the community and much more.

They also urged the government to evolve policies requiring compulsory linkages between institutions and industry for all existing and upcoming industries in relevant areas in order to foster employability skills among the TVET graduates. Moreover, they said that TVET curriculum should be reviewed collaboratively by TVET and industry after every two years to cater new developments and skills among the youth.