Enrolment of out-of-school children in ICT planned

Islamabad: The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and the Ministry of Human Rights have planned to work together for the enrolment of out-of-school children in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

“One of the major tasks of the human rights ministry is to help ensure the implementation of Article 25-A, which guarantees free and compulsory education for the children aged between five and 16 years as their fundamental right, the NCHD is promoting literacy and non-formal education in the country in line with the Vision-2025 and SDGs. The human rights ministry with the Ministry of the Capital Administration and Development Division recently held a survey in 34 areas of Islamabad and found that the percentage of out-of-school children is 29. Now, enrolling these children in schools will be the primary agenda of the organisations,” NCHD chairperson Razina Alam Khan told the educationists attached to the commission during a meeting here on Thursday.

The NCHD chairperson said the government’s Vision 2025 set out goals to tackle the issues of peace, security, development, human rights and poverty alleviation.She said the same were reflected in SDGs showing as an ambitious international agenda.

“Alongside the goals on poverty, terrorism, and education, commitments are made for national development and protection of human rights in the country. The NCHD is working on literacy and non-formal education to empower the underprivileged section of society along with other stakeholders,” she said.

Razina Alam said education played a pivotal role in the life of an individual and the socio-economic development of a country.“We can say it is the only solution to all our problems prevailing in the form of terrorism, poverty, inequality and social injustice in the society. It is not only the responsibility of the state to work for the development of the nation, we being an individual and responsible citizens have the responsibility to play a positive role in the socio-economic development of the country through education,” she said.

The NCHD chairperson said keeping in view the low literacy rate in the country, the commission along with other stakeholders adopted a two-pronged approach to provide access to the education i.e. adult literacy programme for the mothers and Universal Primary Education through its feeder schools in the remote areas for the unprivileged children especially girls.

She said there were 5,949 formal feeder schools of the NCHD functional all over the country with 355,000 enrolment along with 6000 adult functional literacy centres with 150,000 learners attaining literacy and vocational skills.

“The NCHD has always welcomed the idea of joint ventures in gearing up with other stakeholders for the eradication of illiteracy in the country. We have remained very successful in these joint ventures and serve the purpose effectively and efficiently as well,” she said.

Razina Alam said the NCHD was holding meetings with different departments to collaborate with each other in the areas of common interest.She asked stakeholders and donors to make joint efforts to help achieve the target of 90% literacy rate and 100% enrolment in the country.