ISLAMABAD: UK wants every Pakistani kid of school going age to study
at school even by supporting low cost private education pacing up
British educational assistance to Pakistan.
“My ambition is
that every Pakistani kid of this age must go to school,” expressed
British High Commissioner Adam Thomason while talking to Online at his
Residence here on Thursday.
Thomson was anxious to see most of
the Pakistanis getting education that he considered as the best way to
counter extremism. “Working together we should take the school
enrolment level from over 50 percent to 87 percent which is the world
average,” he hoped. In line with the British focus on helping Pakistan
educate its society, the High Commissioner said, the UK government has
increased 50 per cent of its Chevening scholarships for Pakistani
students and scholars vying for higher studies in UK.
The High
Commissioner told Online that these increased scholarships would be in
addition to the 650 million pounds already committed by the British
government to support primary education.
This British
assistance in the face of criticism back home was meant for financing 4
million kids to school, training ninety thousand teachers in addition
to provision of books. In this context, he added, “Not just 4 million,
my ambition is that every Pakistani kid must be in school.”
The
High Commissioner told Online that he has been pushing British
Universities to open up their campuses here through joint ventures with
local associates. He also mentioned about Bradford University
establishing its campus at Mianwali in collaboration with Imran Khan as
one example. Online
