PRIME MINISTER SYED YUSUF RAZA GILANI’S SPEECH
ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE
ORGANIZEDBY BEACONHOUSE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
(5TH November 2010)
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Mrs Nasreen Mahmood Kasuri
Chairperson Beaconhouse School System
Mr. Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri
Chairman BPS
Mr. Kasim Kasuri
Chief Executive Beaconhouse School System
Ladies and Gentlemen
Assalam o Aliakum
It is indeed an honour for me to be invited to this international educational
conference titled School of Tomorrow: Freedom to Learn, which I have
been informed, is a sequel to the Conference held in 2005 titled ‘Towards
2035:The School of Tomorrow’. Beaconhouse has taken upon itself an
extremely enterprising venture of bringing together scholars, educationists,
classroom practitioners, policy makers and experienced professionals
from all over the world, to reassess conventional beliefs of what
constitutes good and progressive teaching. This is, I am confident, would
help change the learning experiences of children studying not only at
private schools, but in schools at every level including those in the state
sector.
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.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Our government is deeply conscious of the fact that education is a critical
aspect of investment upon which we place great importance. As our
children learn to read and write, the knowledge that they gain will stay with
them for life. Talents, skills and the ability to think critically will help our
students to achieve their dreams and their aspirations.
Through education we can establish a modern and developed country.
Education paves the way for us to instill a spirit of ethical behaviour and
tolerance and peaceful coexistence; it also inculcates respect for human
rights and democracy. Quality education prepares students for a bright
future. Education allows students to learn discipline and absorb the
concepts of responsibility, team work, dedication and sincerity in
accordance with the high ideals envisioned by the Father of the Nation,
Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Distinguished audience
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 socioeconomic background. This can only be
achieved if we are able to build on our successes by mobilizing and
engaging not just teachers and parents but the whole community. This
government wants for our young people the biggest expansion in
educational opportunity our country has ever seen. If we are to take our
rightful place in the comity of nations by education and raise the
aspirations of the youth and empower them to contribute positively to the
society and the world at large, we need to invest heavily in it.
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 are;
 an 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
 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.
Dear participants
I believe that no revolution can be made in the educational culture unless
we promote a practice of research, analysis, critical inquiry and
creative thinking in our educational institutions. That I believe is in line
with the theme of this Conference, Freedom to Learn. And for organizing
such a conference I would like to complement the Beaconhouse School
System.
The world today is focusing its energy in educational reforms - and this is
where I see a significant role for Beaconhouse and other schools in
strengthening Pakistan.
It gives me great pleasure to note that since 1975, Beaconhouse has risen
from being a private institution to become a national asset. Beaconhouse
has been described by the World Bank in the mid 1990s as “the largest
school system of its kind in the world” and today it has become a major
force in the international educational spectrum. I am told that Beaconhouse
has a presence in 9 countries outside Pakistan and is providing distinctive
and meaningful education to over 193,000 students from preschool to post
graduation. Of these 82,000 study at Beaconhouse while the remaining
students are largely enrolled at the Educators, a parallel school network
operated by the group providing a standardized quality of education to a
different socio-economic target market than at a much reduced fee.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am happy to note that 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 60 crore rupees 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 organization and has been a pioneer in terms of many
educational initiatives to include:
 student-centered learning
 curriculum research and development
 integration of emerging technologies across the curriculum
Respected audience
I firmly believe that the quality of a school system rests on the quality of its
teachers. Beaconhouse, I have learnt, has institutionalized in-service
teacher training and more than half of its teachers have internationally
recognized teaching certificates. I expect that the Conference would
explore various models of teacher education.
It is because of this that Beaconhouse students have been producing
outstanding results both in O and A level as well local Board examinations.
Their students have been topping the Cambridge International
Examination (CIE) High Achievers lists with top positions in their
respective region, country and even the world.
I have been told that the School of Tomorrow: Freedom to Learn
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 own communities.
In order, therefore, to provide pupils the freedom to learn, it is imperative to
change current ways of teaching and learning and explore more
progressive ways of improving education. This will better equip our
students for their future. These changes, however, in teaching
methodologies cannot be brought about without Strategic Leadership and
Teacher Education – the themes also being explored at the Conference.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am pleased to find out that the School of tomorrow: Freedom to Learn
Conference encompasses a special message of hope and support for
the flood victims. Conference attendees will explore ways to reestablish
educational opportunities in the flood affected areas, bringing light to the
future of Pakistan.
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.
When the Holy Quran was revealed, the first word of the first verse was
Iqra which means ‘Read’. According to a well known Hadith (Sahih
Bukhari) “Without education, man is as though in a closed room, and, with
education, he finds himself in a room with all its windows opened towards
the outside world”. No wonder Islam attaches such great importance to
knowledge and education.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I will draw the speech to its conclusion by quoting from Quaid-e-Azam’s
historical words, “Without education it is complete darkness and with
education it is light. Education is a matter of life and death to our
nation. The world is moving so fast that if you do not educate
yourselves, you will be not only completely left behind, but will be
finished up. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) had enjoined his followers to
go even to China in the pursuit of knowledge. If that was the
commandment in those days when communications were difficult,
then, truly, Muslims as the true followers of the glorious heritage of
Islam, should surely utilize all available opportunities. No sacrifice of
time or personal comfort should be regarded too great for the
advancement of the cause of education.”
Once again, Mr. and Mrs. Kasuri, ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate you
all on taking this bold step to hold an International Conference of this
magnitude and I wish you all the success in this connection.
Pakistan Paindabad