25,000 teachers to be trained in information technology
ISLAMABAD : Minister for Science and Technology Dr Ata-ur-Rahman on Friday said that 25,000 school teachers will be trained under Information Technology training programme.
He was addressing the two-day 3rd All Pakistan Members Meeting & Exhibition of Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) here.
Dr Ata said that by December this year about 15,000 to 18,000 school teachers will be provided training while the remaining 7,000 will be trained next year.
This programme has been launched in collaboration with Intel, he added. Ata said that the government will also set up computer labs in secondary and higher secondary schools of the country to promote IT in schools and colleges.
”We are also planning to make IT education compulsory in schools to help get IT up in a major way at the grassroots level,” he added.
He said that the science and technology education is vital for enhancing productivity to achieve the goal of national prosperity.
The minister stressed the need for IT and human resource development and described it as key to overall development.
He said that in order to promote science and technology, the government intends to transform the country through its use.
He said that the government has already given approval for four new digital TV channel for promotion of literacy.
Talking about the major initiatives of the government promotion of IT, he said, Virtual University (VU) has been functioning well and is imparting education to the students in IT using the PTV2 for the lectures.
The number of students will increase to 5,000 in September this year. 25,000 in 2003 and 50,000 in 2004, he added.
Dr Ata said that the focus is being given to make education more need-oriented and effective contributor to efforts for poverty alleviation and socio-economic development of the country.
The minister informed that he will be visiting Egypt and Tunisia on August 28 and September, 2 respectively regarding creation of a Pan Islamic Fund for Science and Technology research.
He will meet the heads of these Islamic States to convince them to contribute for a common cause.
He also informed Pakistan will launch its own communication satellite by December this year.
By launching this satellite, “we will be able to further decrease the bandwidth rates,” he added.-APP
Source: The Business Recorder
Date:8/24/2002
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