Ever since Imran khan became a member of the parliament, he has been passionate about improving the education sector of our country and immediately took a lot of Initiative. Since he is a highly educated man himself, his primary focus has been on upgradation of the quality of education served in Pakistan. More than 50% of our population is below thirty years which makes it crucial to make education accessible without compromising on its quality.
The current education system lacks when compared with the global standard which is why Imran khan’s government is striving to help public institutions stay abreast with a more technologized educational learning. Due to which the government of Pakistan approved a specialized education programme in 2020 to be launched in more than 400 higher secondary schools across the country aiming to set-off interest of students in the four disciplines namely: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (collectively called STEM).
The Ministry of Science and Technology led the development of this programme on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan who wishes to see the education sector flourish. A number of senior officials attended this meeting, namely Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, the finance secretary, the Federal Board of Revenue’s chairman etc.
The STEM programe is launched in phases. Out of the two phases, the first phase aims with the enrollment of matriculation and intermediate students (grade 9 to 12) of 50 public schools and colleges on the basis of talent and ability. The next phase deals with the expansion of this programme to other public schools and colleges of the country.
The STEM programme comprises of three components: laboratories, teachers training and STEM module.
Under the first component, the laboratories are to be established in various schools and colleges to facilitate students learning in these four disciplines to enable approximately 100, 000 children’s access to modern training via this project.
The second component requires effective training of educators to impart theoretical knowledge to the already enrolled students.
In the third component, various schools and colleges will be chosen by different universities purely on merit basis to improve the overall quality of education system of STEM subjects.
Prime Minister Imran khan believes STEM subjects to have acquired ‘special importance’ in the world, maintaining that the launch of STEM programme has kicked off a new era of progress in the country which will enable Pakistani students to compete globally and with confidence. Moreover, Ministry of Science and Technology Shibli Faraz thinks of the STEM programme initiative as a ‘game changer’ for the education sector accepting that for Pakistan to progress and compete globally, the schools and colleges of this country needs to be modernized and be structured on international standards.
Such educational reforms will help improve the economy of our country with the collective goal of increasing employment opportunities for both fresh and experienced workers. Hence, providing children with an advanced skill set at an early age will surely assist them secure better futures, here and abroad.
Areena Suhail Khan
MS (Molecular Genetics)
Comsats University Islamabad
References:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1575753
https://propakistani.pk/2021/10/06/govt-launches-stem-program-for-matric-and-inter-students/
