Quetta: Education is a vast phenomenon and the ambitious goals could not be achieved without proper planning and envisioned policy making, this was said by Secretary Education Dr. Mohammad Umar Baber in the Joint Education Sector Review organized by Policy Planning and implementation unit Balochistan, UNICEF and JICA respectively, on Tyesday and Wednesday.
Two day event was Joint Education Sector Review (JESR) where representatives of donor partner organizations visited Balochistan to appraise the progress made vis a vis targets set by Balochistan Education Sector Plan 2013-18.
Opening ceremony of JESR 2016 was attended by Minister for Education Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal. The Minister emphasized with concerns that Education indicators for Balochistan were least satisfactory and that serious efforts are required to improve the situation.
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Closing Ceremony was chaired by Secretary Secondary Education. He pointed out that significant progress was achieved on sector plan targets yet significant room for improvement exist; only commitment towards service delivery can help us achieve the global goals and improve ground realities.
On this occasion Aziz Ahmad Jamali, Additional Secretary Development and Focal Person PPIU, Asfandyar Khan Project Director, Balochistan Education Project (BEP), David Igulu Chief of Office, UNICEF Quetta, technical experts, educationists and civil society members were also present.
Secretary Education Balochistan appreciated the support of UNICEF, JICA for conducting such brain storming and informative technical gathering. The main thematic recommendations which were discussed in the seminar were about Curriculum, Textbook and teacher education, access and equity in the educational means, governance of overall educational system, management and budget analysis, technical, vocational and Inclusive education.
On the occasion secretary elucidated the efforts with the optimistic visionary approach of Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Sana Ullah khan Zehri and Education Minister Abdul Raheem Ziaratwal, he said that it is the best time to enforce all the planned objectives in the education assessment sector plan accordingly.
He said that after 18th amendment education has become a provincial subject and we are facing problems regarding curriculum development because curriculum in still made in accordance with the National Curriculum, and the curriculum is not covering the aspirations of the local cultural values and feelings so local oriented curriculum shall be made that will addressed accordingly. In addition he suggested that all subjects shall be made through innovative curriculum techniques.
On the occasion experts endorsed that on the side of governance we have been failed because there is a wide gap between the resource distributions to resource provision, governance needs responsibility and responsiveness. Monitoring teams are not keenly interested to visit the fields of their job description so the desired results of accountability will not be achieved.
Technical experts suggested that the medium of media shall be used accurately then the phase of implementation will be achieved accordingly. Teachers can change the minds of the generations; constructive criticism shall be adopted in the education. He also suggested that there shall not be political interference in this particular dignified profession. Technical and vocational training, non-formal education’s also necessary and this task should be made by the respective departments.
Two day deliberations at Serena Quetta were attended by members of five thematic groups of BESP which are Access and Equity, Assessment and Examination, Quality of Education, Governance and Management and Non-formal and Technical Education
Directors of Schools, Bureau of Curriculum, Provincial Institute for Teachers Education (PITE), Civil Society Organizations and education experts contributed to gauge current progress and set targets for next year(s) in Education sector.
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