‘Until elite’s children study in public schools, education woes to persist’

Karachi

The two-day Children Literature Festival (CLF) held for the first time at a public school in Sukkur came to an end on the note that government must provide equal educational opportunities in both rural and urban areas. Addressing the event, Syed Khursheed Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, said that unless children of Assembly officials acquire education from public schools, no improvement can be expected in the educational sector.

He also stressed on the need to improve the conditions of institutions in rural areas of Sindh: “There is not a dearth of talent in our students; they just need proper guidance to improve their abilities and skills.”

The festival was organised by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and Oxford University Press (OUP), and was supported by the Sindh government, USAID Sindh Reading Programme and Dubai Cares.

The trustee and advisor of ITA, Baela Raza Jamil, who is also the Founder of the CLF, informed that despite the rise of temperature which shot up to 47 degrees, 12,000 children attended the festival. She also said that it was the first time that a children’s festival of such scale had been organised in Sukkur hence the response was indeed overwhelming.

The young attendees came from areas of Khairpur, Pannu Aqil, Shikarpur and adjoining towns. The head of curriculum wing, education and literary department, Dr Fouzia Khan said that it was a wonderful opportunity for children to learn how to express themselves freely and emphasised on the need to continue investing in our children. She added that more festivals of this kind should be held in other parts of the province.

“This is a momentous occasion for us to be here among children, young students and teachers, and bring the first-ever CLF to Sukkur district. The spirit of this festival resonates with our commitment to ensure that every child has access to opportunities where they can read, learn and grow,” said Dr. Chistopher Ashford, Chief of Party, USAID Sindh Reading Programme.