Functions arranged to mark International Day of Education

PESHAWAR: The Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation (ESEF) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa marked the International Day of Education across the province on Tuesday.

January 24 is observed as World Education Day and worldwide events are arranged to create awareness among the masses and highlight efforts for the promotion of education.

The ESEF arranged events in 26 districts of the province wherein prominent figures were invited and activities for the promotion of education arranged.

One such event was organized at Government Degree College Daggar, Buner where ESEF Managing Director Zariful Maani was the chief guest.

The speakers lauded the efforts of the ESEF for the promotion of education especially girls’ education in areas where formal educational institutions are not available.

They said that the concept of community schools and the school support programmes were innovative ideas benefiting the deprived population of the province.

Zariful Maani said that the ESEF is making efforts to remove illiteracy and promote education in the province. He said that the foundation has launched some revolutionary projects for the promotion of quality education, especially in areas where formal educational institutions were not available.

He said that the ESEF has launched projects of distance learning for students who don’t have the facility and opportunity to physically attend schools. He said that apart from the girls’ community schools, set up with the support of the local community in areas where formal schools are not available within a two-kilometer radius, the foundation is supporting private schools for enrolling the out-of-school children.

Zariful Maani said the entire functioning of the foundation has been digitalized for ensuring transparency. He said complete data on the community schools, the private schools that are being supported, the teachers, the students and the staff of the foundation is available online. It, he added, is updated on a daily basis and can be checked with just one click of the button.

He said the online attendance of all the teachers and students engaged in different projects of the foundation are taken and uploaded automatically on the system through artificial intelligence devices. The attendance reports are also maintained online, he said.

In Peshawar, a function was arranged at the Institute of Education and Research (IER) the University of Peshawar. Vice Chancellor Dr Idrees was the chief guest, while secretary Elementary and Secondary Education Department Motasim Billah Shah , ESEF Director Programmes Habibur Rehman Orakzai, IER Director Dr Abdur Rauf, ESEF District Programme Officer Taqweemul Haq and others were present as well.

Habibur Rahman Orakzai said that currently some 0.22 million students were enrolled in the 3,000 schools established by the ESEF in different parts of the province.

Similarly, he added, agreements have been reached with some 50 private schools for enrollment of the out-of-school children under the education support scheme.

Around 2,000 students have been enrolled under the scheme so far, while 38,000 more children would be enrolled in private schools during the three-year scheme, he said.