Islamabad, December 2: UNESCO will develop its cooperative partnership with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) to promote the concept of Lifelong learning and promote quality education in the country.

This was stated on Monday by the representative of UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) Dr. Jamila Razzaq while addressing the opening session of five-day national workshop on family and inter-generational literacy and learning in Pakistan, held here at AIOU.

Through the cooperative partnership, the two sides will engage themselves in developing resources and providing technical support for undertaking cost-effective skilled-based literacy programs for all age groups.

Welcoming the UNESCO’s offer of joint collaboration in the field of family literacy, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Zia-Ul-Qayyum said they will work on a proposal of establishing Lifelong Learning Institute at the AIOU, for providing skilled-based education to the people, enabling them to earn their livelihood.

The University, he added, is also prepared to set up ‘Open School System’ to promote literacy and attend out-of-school children through its 53 regional offices across the country, with the use of new technology.

He noted that the government was doing its best effort to achieve the stipulated targets in the educational sector, but he added, this task could only be accomplished by the cooperation of other stake-holders and relevant institutions.

The Vice Chancellor emphasized that the each institution with available resources and within its capacity should make all possible efforts to provide meaningful and job-oriented education to the people.

He assured the AIOU’s infrastructure and resources will be made available to implement the actionable items, to be suggested by UIL and the participants of the workshop. He called for making serious efforts for implementing the cooperative arrangements that are agreed upon on institution-to-institution and country-to-country level.

The UNESCO’s representative in her speech further said they are starting the mission of lifelong learning on family and inter-generational literacy from Pakistan with the cooperative partnership of the AIOU, and this is the first-ever workshop in the country.

Earlier, Dean AIOU’s Faculty of Education Dr. Nasir Mahmood gave a overview of the existing educational facilities in the country, and said they are legging behind in achieving due targets in the educational sector. Provision of skill-based education to the children, youth and adults is an essential requirement of the time to help the country to achieve its socio-economic targets.

The 2nd phase of CPEC that meant to set up industrial zones in the country has provided a good opportunity for overcoming the issue of unemployment. For this purpose, he emphasized the educational institutions should come forward to produce professionals how could get jobs in CPEC- related projects, while making their due contribution for success of this mega project.

The workshop that was being attended by the representatives of the provincial governments, educational institutions and the members of the NOGs, was also addressed by the Chairman, the University’s Department of Distance, Non-Formal and Continuing Education Dr. Muhammad Ajaml Chaudhry who spoke about the objectives of the workshop.

The participants of the workshop during its working sessions are scheduled to evolve an action plan for promotion of literacy and non-formal education in the country.