Commendable effort

Education is equally important for girls and boys. However parents, particularly in the rural areas, discourage the education of girls. The reasons include: financial constraints, social taboos and far away localities of schools. Mostly, girls in the rural areas receive an education till the primary level.

The government of Punjab has launched the Khadim-e-Punjab Zaiwar Taleem Programme in 16 districts in South Punjab under which Rs6 billion will be given as scholarships. The amount of stipend each girl will receive under this programme, through the Khidmat Cards, has been increased from Rs200 to Rs1,000 per month. Moreover, all the educational and food expenses of the female students will be borne by the provincial government. While the amount of stipend may appear negligible, the effort of the provincial government to increase the amount by five times to facilitate the education of girls needs to be lauded. Moreover, if more funds for the programme are set aside, this amount may be increased further.

Muhammad Zahid Rifat

Lahore