Formative years & education

IF education matters, it matters the most at the early stages of life. The early years of childhood education are crucial as these are considered the formative years. It is claimed that the first 1000 days of children are very important for mental growth and personality formation. The country needs to pursue more rigorously education emergency and the early childhood education program.

Afghanistan's Media Delegation visits HEC

Islamabad, April 4, 2017: A delegation of media persons and a few academics from Afghanistan, which is on a week-long visit to Pakistan, visited Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat here on Tuesday.

HEC Inks Pact with Overseas Technoogy for Online Course, Certification

Islamabad, April 11, 2017: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has signed an agreement with Overseas Technology Private Limited to acquire services of digital content, subsidized online courses and certification of high ranking renowned institutions to the recipients of Prime Minister's Laptop Scheme.

3-Days Data Science Workshop Begins at HEC

​Islamabad, April 18, 2017: Opening ceremony of 3-day Data Science Workshop was held at Higher Education Commission Secretariat here on Tuesday. The workshop will provide networking and collaborative opportunities to local community and extend a platform to share thoughts and learn from domain experts, foreign professors, researchers and industry experts from US, China, UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Quranic Education is Now Compulsory in Federal Schools & Colleges

A new bill passed by the National Assembly has made Quran education compulsory.

Titled “Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Bill 2017”, it will be applicable on students from Grade 1 to Grade 12 in federal education institutes. Students in Grade 1 through 5 will be taught Naazrah Quran (recitation). Grade 6 – 12 students will be taught the Holy Quran and its translation.

Adding value to education

Our public education system is in need of dire reform, we cannot be among the developed nations without education for all, our universities need to improve, literacy and attendance are not alternatives to quality and so on and so forth. Speeches, declarations, policy statements and promises galore. We’ve heard dozens of proposals as well, on television, in classrooms, and elsewhere. But… a new subject? Sorry to break your bubble sir, but we already have up to 25 elective and 10 technical subjects for both HSC and SSC. With a burdensome load of 8 compulsory subjects for SSC and seven for HSC, why another?

Problem Recognition

Business managers need to be skilled, have expertise in problem recognition and solution techniques to be the greatest help in guiding their company towards greater success.

In problem recognition, the consumer recognizes a problem or need or want. The buyer recognizes a difference between his or her actual state and some desired state.

The need can be generated by internal stimuli when one of the person’s normal needs − hunger, thirst, sex, etc. rises to a high level sufficient to become a drive. A need can also be generated by external stimuli.

At this stage, the marketer should evaluate the consumer’s perspective by considering the basic questions like −

• What kinds of needs or problems or efforts arise.
• What brought them about and
• How it led the consumer towards the particular product.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
American Psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow believes that, needs are arranged in a hierarchy form. Only after a human has achieved the needs at a certain stage, does he move to the next one. The pyramid diagram showing the Maslow needs hierarchy.

According to Maslow's theory, when a human being goes up the levels of the hierarchy has fulfilled the needs and wants in the hierarchy, one may ultimately achieve self-actualization. Maslow in the end concluded that, self-actualization was not a regular outcome of satisfying the other human needs. Human needs as identified by Maslow are as follow −

• At the bottom of the hierarchy level are the "Basic needs or Physiological needs" of a human being − food, water, shelter, sleep, sex etc.
• The next level is "Safety Needs − Security, Order, safety and Stability". These two steps are important for the physical survival of the person.
• The third level of need is "Love and Belonging", which are psychological needs; when individuals have taken care of themselves physically, they are ready to share themselves with others, such as with family, friends and relatives.
• The fourth level is achieved when individuals feel comfortable with what they have achieved. This is the "Esteem" level, the need to be capable and recognized, such as position, status and level of success.
• The fifth level is the "Cognitive" or the "self-actualization" level, where individuals intellectually stimulate themselves and explore for their growth.

Finally, there is the "Aesthetic" level, which is the need for harmony, unity, order and beauty.

Efforts for early-year education urged

Speakers urged joint contribution educationists and parents can make, using appropriate sources of learning and development, latest research, better networking amongst peers and a will to make learning a fun activity for the thought leaders of tomorrow. During third Early Years Thought Leaders symposium at the Peshawar club, experts provided parents a chance to learn how to support the work of learning specialists.
They discussed the learning needs at the most critical period of learning and development for a child. Among the panelists were Dr. Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, Dr. Sadia Shafique, Ms. Nuzhat Rauf, Ms. Nancy Jamshed, Ms. Shamama Arbab Kakakhel and Mr. Raja Zia ul Haq.

Education is the only solution

Pakistan’s countless flesh and blood victims of the seemingly unstoppable terrorist juggernaut rarely make international headlines. Obscured by the mainstream news narrative, the image of Pakistan which emerges hardly takes into account the extent of the loss, injury, and trauma endured by people on an all too frequent basis.

From recent terrorist attacks in Lahore and Quetta to the horrific massacre of school children at Peshawar’s Army Public School in 2014 — the catalogue of atrocities has become immense.

Malala stresses to further speed up efforts to promote girls

Malala Yousafzai has stressed the need to further speed up efforts to promote girls' education in Pakistan.

She was addressing a reception hosted for her by the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada in Ottawa.

President stresses role of educational institutions

President Mamnoon Hussain Monday said that educational institutions and intellectuals had an important role to play in building a counter narrative against extremism and terrorism in the light of Islamic teachings. Chairing the 12th meeting of Board of Trustees (BOT) of International Islamic University (IIUI) at Faisal Mosque Campus here, the President said that IIUI was playing an important role in this regard and appreciated the institution for imparting quality religious and contemporary education.

Obsolete education system

Education in Pakistan is often being criticised as based on rote learning rather than problem solving. Education system seems to be producing students, who instead of learning focus on cramming.
Textbooks are not according to latest curriculum. This cause many difficulties to students as well as teachers also. The curriculum should be flexible and according to our requirements. That’s why we are moving backward instead of going forward.

Pakistan advised to invest in education to boost economy

LAHORE: Brian McEnery, President Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) shed lights on the future need of accountancy professionals, importance of census in an exclusive interview with The News.

Apart from heading the ACCA, Brian is also a non-executive director of Ireland’s ‘bad bank’, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). Moreover, he also happens to be the non-executive chairman of Ireland’s health and social care regulator, the Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA).

Educating the poor for a better Pakistan

I agree with the letter of Sundus Mujeeb published on April 8 in this newspaper, Educate children, educate the nation. Education is indeed the basic right of each and every individual but has been denied to underprivileged children in the country, although our Constitution states otherwise.

Article 25-A of the Constitution guarantees free education for all children aged between 5 and 16. But the state of Pakistan has failed miserably in mandating it and only caters to private education sectors, which have grown but are beyond the reach of the economically disadvantaged.

Students urged to take maximum benefit of educational facilities

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said that girls have been provided equal opportunities of studies in higher education institutions; adding that they should take maximum benefit of these opportunities, so that the potential of half of the population could be fully exploited for the collective wellbeing of the society.
He said this, while addressing the second convocation of four year program of Bachelor of Science (BS) of 2011-2015 session of the Government Postgraduate Islamia College for Women, Cooper Road, Lahore on Saturday.