JK News Today
Jammu, September 15: The Asian Development Bank has advised Pakistan to adopt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education scheme — Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) — to fix the country’s dysfunctional system and impart quality training.
The Manila-based lender gave the recommendation in response to Pakistan’s request for the financial support to improve the dysfunctional education system and impart education to all out-of-the school children, according to Express Tribune , a leading newspaper of Pakistan.
The ADB recommends that the government adopt a strategic and multi-stakeholder consultative approach, drawing on international best practices, such as the government of India’s new centrally sponsored Scheme “ULLAS” (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society), according to the lender.
Federal Education Secretary Mohyundin Wani, who is also credited to bring drastic changes in Gilgit-Baltistan education system as chief secretary, had sought the ADB’s assistance to develop a mechanism for a central education scheme.
The ADB emphasised that the ULLAS scheme emphasises the need for both federal and provincial governments to collaborate urgently to enhance access to quality education and can offer insightful lessons of success and challenges when considering a similar vertical scheme in Pakistan.
Under the Constitution, education is a provincial subject. However, there have been voices after the 18th constitutional amendments to standardise the syllabuses across the country.
Prime Minister Modi had approved the new centrally-sponsored scheme ULLAS for the five-year period to cover all the aspects of “Education for All”.
The objective of the Indian scheme is to impart not only foundational literacy and numeracy but also to cover other components which are necessary for a citizen of the 21st century such as critical life skills including financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare.
The ADB’s recommendation came just days before a scheduled visit of ADB President, Masatsugu Asakawa to Pakistan. The ADB president would meet with Pakistani stakeholders on Monday.
A Planning Commission’s report revealed that Pakistan’s education delivery system had become dysfunctional and all the 134 districts barring Islamabad were lagging behind on indicators ranging from learning outcomes to public financing.
The findings of the Planning Commission’s District Education Performance Index Report 2023 underscored the human resource crisis in Pakistan where people are entering into job markets either with no or low education.
