ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed on promoting virtual education to meet the challenges faced by the current world.
Addressing the launching ceremony of a virtual training programme in Islamabad on Tuesday, the President called for supplementing education with moral values to create an environment of humanity and respect in society.
The President said that education without moral values is meaningless and the country’s youths should work hard and be honest in their actions and thoughts to help Pakistan become prosperous. He expressed hope that Pakistan is at tipping point of becoming a great nation as per vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah because it has the potential of creating leading personalities in different fields.
President Alvi asked the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and other relevant organisations to initiate measure for the provision of skill-based training to differently-abled persons (DAPs) enabling them to earn a decent livelihood as well as play their role in the social economic development of the country. He emphasised the need to revise the existing training curricula as per international best practices that would help DAPs to get employment.
The President said that DAPs constituted 12 percent to 14 percent of the country’s population and they needed to be integrated into the main educational and economic system by providing them training in relevant trades and other necessary facilities. He highlighted that the government has taken a number of measures for the welfare of the DAPs under Ehsaas Kafalat Programme and the allocation of loans by the State Bank of Pakistan for DAPs entrepreneurs.
He regretted the fact that the funds, allocated by the State Bank of Pakistan, for DAPs remained underutilized due to lack of awareness. He stressed the need for creating awareness among DAPs to benefit from such schemes. He emphasized the need for establishing effective coordination and efficient communication among relevant organisations and NGOs to ensure maximum participation of persons with disabilities in skilled development programmes.
The President appreciated the contributions and efforts made by the NGOs for the cause of DAPs. He underlined that it was the collective responsibility of all segments of society to play their role for the socio-economic well-being of the differently-abled persons. – TLTP