PM Stresses Literacy as Key to Progress and Prosperity

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said literacy plays a pivotal role in determining the quality of life of individuals and nations and in shaping the path towards progress and prosperity across all spheres of life. In his message on International Literacy Day, the prime minister said Pakistan joined the international community in paying tribute to the spirit of learning and teaching and the pursuit of knowledge. He said promoting literacy and strengthening cooperation in education and learning must remain an individual, national and global priority to advance humanity's shared interests and positive values, including peaceful coexistence. The prime minister said this year's International Literacy Day was being observed under the theme, 'Literacy for People, Planet and Prosperity.' The theme, he added, underscored how literacy empowers and enlightens individuals while enabling societies to move towards sustainable development. Shehbaz Sharif said literacy should not be viewed merely as a measure of how many people in a country could read and write. Rather, it was a means of transforming ideological, religious, social, economic and national foundations into a brighter future. He stressed that realising the benefits of education, learning and literacy was ultimately an effort to shape and empower future generations. At the national level, the prime minister said the government was committed to ensuring equal, inclusive and quality education for all, with particular focus on digital literacy, skills development, research and innovation. He said the federal government was working with provincial governments and relevant stakeholders on a comprehensive strategy to increase the literacy rate across the country and provide students with education aligned with the requirements of the contemporary world. The prime minister said the federal government had also launched special programmes to enrol out-of-school children. Initiatives such as Daanish Schools, he added, reflected the government's commitment to ensuring that access to quality education was not determined by a child's socio-economic circumstances. He observed that by providing free and quality education to children from deserving and disadvantaged segments of society, particularly orphans, such institutions were helping nurture talent, build confidence and create pathways to a better future. 'Such efforts reflect our resolve to make quality education a means of social development and national inclusion,' he said. Alongside expanding educational opportunities, Shehbaz Sharif said the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) had been made more effective and dynamic to equip the young workforce with globally competitive, internationally recognised and market-oriented skills. He said this would create pathways to dignified employment, entrepreneurship and expanded economic opportunities for young people. Strengthening the link between education, skills development and the evolving requirements of the labour market, he added, would enable youth to become active partners in the economy and Pakistan's socio-economic development. The prime minister stressed that women's education and empowerment also required special attention to fully realise the benefits of literacy. He said inclusive national development depended on providing women with equal opportunities to develop their capabilities and play their due role in national progress. He also highlighted the importance of literacy in raising public awareness about the challenges of the 21st century, particularly climate change, environmental degradation and related risks. According to the prime minister, informed and responsible citizens could play a more effective role in protecting and sustainably developing natural resources. To achieve the national objective of improving literacy rates and establishing a quality education system, Shehbaz Sharif said the government, educational institutions, students, teachers, parents, civil society, development partners, the private sector and the media must work together and play an effective and coordinated role. 'Let us renew our resolve that, as a nation, we will illuminate the minds of our younger generation with the light of knowledge and ensure a prosperous and accomplished future marked by progress and opportunity,' he said.