There is no chance of military takeover: Gilani

LAHORE (November 06, 2010) : There is no chance of military government in the country. Pakistan Army is my own army and the democratic government will complete its tenure, said Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. He was talking to reporters after addressing the International Educational Conference "schools of tomorrow: freedom to learn Towards 2035," organised by Beaconhouse School System on Friday.

Chairperson Beaconhouse School System Nasreen Mehmood Kasuri, former foreign minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri and Chief Executive Officer Qasim Kasuri were present on the occasion. More than 1000 participants from Pakistan and nine other countries including educationists, policymakers and professionals attended the conference.

Gilani said that Kaladhaka which has been a tribal area for 110 years has been included in the settled area. About Nawaz Sharif's statement regarding failure of government in delivering good governance, he said that he respects the opinion of Nawaz Sharif because we are following the policy of national reconciliation. He said that unfortunately all the civilian governments were dismissed on the allegations of corruption. He said former prime minister Muhammad Khan Junejo's government, two governments of Nawaz Sharif and two governments of Benazir Bhutto were dismissed on charges of corruption. "Charges of corruption on democratic government is not a new thing," he said. Unfortunately all the criticism was on democratic governments but no criticism on military governments.

"I have good relations with judiciary," the PM said while answering question on his views on the executive order on which judiciary was restored. Earlier speaking on the occasion, Gilani said our National Education Policy 2009 marks a turning point in responding to the challenges faced in the field of education by our nation. The policy is a diverse mix of wide-ranging consultations and pooling of ideas from both public and private educational sectors.

Our next steps in reference to these reforms includes increased investment in our schools, delivering for the many and not just the few, assuring parents of high quality schooling for their children, following the practice of the best educational systems around the world and offering education that is not just universal but also personal to every child - education that is in tune with the aspirations of the world of tomorrow.

"I am pleased to find out that the conference encompasses a special message of hope and support for the flood victims. The conference attendees will explore ways to re-establish educational opportunities in the flood affected areas, bringing light to the future of Pakistan," Gilani said.

He said to survive in a challenging world like ours, we need to focus on change and progress and the fostering of independent thought. The future of this world is in the hands of our young and only education is capable of providing them with the necessary light so that they can chart their way to a more meaningful life.

Gilani said Beaconhouse is fully conscious of its Corporate Social Responsibility and has for this purpose established the Beaconhouse National University which is Pakistan's first liberal arts university, on the not- for- profit basis under the Beaconhouse National University Foundation. The group has donated around Rs 600 million to BNU while the provincial government and other donors have also contributed generously. In this connection, I am also pleased to note that Beaconhouse has always contributed liberally whenever the situation so demanded whether it be after the 2005 earthquake, or in the wake of the internally displaced people or after the recent floods. It is also laudable to note that Beaconhouse is offering thousands of scholarships under varying categories.

"It gives me immense pleasure to note that Beaconhouse has been a progressive organisation and has been a pioneer in terms of many educational initiatives to include student-centred learning, curriculum research and development, integration of emerging technologies across the curriculum," he said.

He said the conference is questioning traditional forms of education which were at one time the requirement of an emerging free market society but are now regarded as chains tying down the young. The purpose of schooling and education is no longer limited to the structured learning of facts deemed necessary for progress and success in the real world. When allowed the freedom to learn what they choose, students display a higher degree of creativity and independent thought. They are flexible in their thinking, are confident in their ability to make decisions and above all, feel responsible for their own lives as well as for their communities.

"All of us are aware of the fact that this is an era of technological revolution and scientific achievement. No nation can aspire to reach glory and achieve economic development without making education its top priority. The secret to the phenomenal successes of the developed nations lies in their attainment of high literacy rates and productive human resource development, Gilani said. The Prime Minister said that our government is committed to the Quaid's vision. Our government aims at strengthening an educational system that provides opportunities for all students regardless of their socio-economic background. This can only be achieved if we are able to build on our successes by mobilising and engaging not just teachers and parents but the whole community.