The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has started a campaign titled “Ilm Tolo Da Para” (Education for All) to enhance the literacy rate in the province, particularly in the newly merged districts to the desired level. The approval was granted in a meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Merged Districts held here with the Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah in the chair.
Initially, the campaign would be launched in merged districts, and would be extended to those settled districts having low literacy rate. Under the campaign, a comprehensive plan has been chalked out for admitting out of school children of merged areas to schools. Moreover, under the campaign, children belonging to merged districts with age groups of five to sixteen would be specifically targeted for enrolment.
Besides, Caretaker Provincial Ministers Dr. Qasim Jan, Dr Aamir Abdullah, Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt. Gen. Hassan Azhar Hayat and other civil and military high ups attended the meeting. The forum decided to upgrade the public sector schools on need basis in merged districts while teachers belonging to merged districts but posted in other districts would also be repatriated to the districts of their domiciles.
In the meeting it was also decided that an inquiry would be conducted regarding missing facilities in public schools while action would be taken against the contractor in case of non-construction of facilities mentioned in the PC 1 of any school. The meeting also decided to constitute a committee for aligning the academic curriculum with market needs and requirements of the modern era. Briefing about the various aspects of the literacy campaign ‘Ilm tolo Da Para’ the participants were informed that the campaign has been designed jointly by the Pak Army and education department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It was disclosed in the meeting that currently, 55 % i.e 10,00000 children are out of schools in the merged districts adding that only 44 % i. e around 8,00000 children are enrolled in the schools in merged areas.
