Sindh to help children of prisoners get education

The Sindh government has launched Pakistan’s first-ever programme to support the education of children of convicted prisoners. The launch ceremony was held at the Central Jail Karachi.

Over 10,000 children of inmates will be supported in their education from primary school to university. This initiative is a joint effort of the Sindh Education Department, the Sindh Prisons Department, and Paigham-e-Pakistan. Under the programme, children of 4,684 convicted inmates in Sindh’s jails will receive educational support.

Speaking at the ceremony, Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah emphasised that the state must act like a mother. “We’re helping children who have committed no crime. Denying them education would be the greatest injustice because children shouldn’t be punished for the actions of their parents.”

Shah said that just as it is the state’s responsibility to punish criminals, it is also the state’s duty to ensure education for their children. “We’re setting a positive precedent.” He said Sindh is the first to take such an initiative, and this is the world’s first model to support inmates’ children from school to higher education.

Data on prisoners’ children is being collected, and based on their families’ preferences, over 10,000 children will be helped to enrol in schools and universities, he added. He clarified that inmates’ children can choose between public and private educational institutions, and the government would provide full support.

In the first phase, admission letters have been issued for 100 children, while data for 2,638 children has been collected, and they will soon receive admission letters in consultation with their families. Shah stressed the importance of filling schools with students, and emptying prisons.

He said the letter only mentions the child’s education, and under no circumstances would the child be identified as the offspring of an inmate. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that these children are sent to educational institutions with complete protection.”

Prisons Minister Hasan Ali Zardari said families of inmates often live a life similar to imprisonment due to the absence of a breadwinner. “We must change the perception of prisons in Sindh into reform centres. Helping prisoners’ children get an education will integrate entire families into the rehabilitation process.”

Zardari said the programme would not only support the education of children of inmates but also assist juvenile inmates in acquiring an education and vocational skills. Sindh has 14 convicted juvenile inmates and 56 children living in jail with their mothers, for whom educational initiatives are also under way.

Paigham-e-Pakistan organiser Prof Muhammad Miraj Siddiqui announced that three types of programmes have been proposed to support prisoners’ children: education and vocational training from primary school to university, micro-financing of up to Rs500,000 to help inmates’ children start their own businesses, and monthly assistance of up to Rs12,000 for families of convicted inmates to prevent criminal elements from exploiting their economic vulnerability.

Sindh’s prisons house 24,000 inmates, including 4,102 convicted inmates and 582 on death row. An inmate named Zamir said: “Today is a day of immense joy and relief for me, knowing that my children will attend school and stay away from crime.”

Another inmate said: “My two children will now study in a good school, and become productive members of society. When I complete my sentence and reunite with them, I will proudly be the father of educated children.”