Int’l Literacy Day observed

LAHORE:International Literacy Day 2022 was observed across the world including Pakistan under the theme "Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces” on Thursday. A number of events in connection with the day were organised in the provincial metropolis.

Speaking at a ceremony organised jointly by the Department of Literacy, UNICEF and JICA on International Literacy Day, Secretary for Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education, Department Punjab Wajihullah Kundi said the economic and social development of any country was dependent on educated people.

He said that was the reason that given the socio-economic needs of the people, the Department of Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education was established to increase the literacy rate during the previous tenure of Chief Minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi.

The Provincial Secretary emphasised that Literacy Department has developed customised curricula and syllabi for each age group and each social segment to make education more harmonise with the patterns of society. Non-formal education is the most economical model of education for the masses. It costs 250-300 per child monthly, whereas formal school education costs to government above 3000 per child monthly, he added.

The saving of billions of rupees in terms of cost of buildings by arranging free-of-cost buildings from the community makes the literacy & NFBE department make it best suitable option in current financial crunch to meet the gigantic challenge of enrollment of 7.6 million out-of-school children. Children who are out of school due to various socio-economic barriers can successfully get education through flexible model, he added.