ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (APP):If the neglected part of society gets employment and any source of earning, it creates empowerment
among them to become independent, resourceful and useful citizens of the country, chairperson NCHD Razina Alam Khan said here on Friday.
Addressing the women on the distribution of sewing machines by NCHD in its newly established Functional Literacy Centers at Bonah Mohallah at Noorpur Shahan, chairperson NCHD said Skill development is the main objective along with literacy for the deprived sections of society, especially the women.
She said it is encouraging to note the decrease in Out of School Children from 24 million to 22.8 million and adjusted net enrollment rate from 72% to 77%, total gross enrollment of all sectors & levels of education increased from 44.4 million to 47.5 million.
She said “a literate society is only our social, economical and political safety; outside of this ark, all is coddle.” “We the nation of 207 million, where one fourth children of 5-9 age groups are still out
of school and 40% of adult illiterate population, hampers development and progress of the country,” she added.
Keeping in view the low literacy rate in the country NCHD adopted a two-pronged approach to provide access to education i.e. Adult Literacy Programme for the mothers and Universal Primary Education through its Feeder Schools in the remote areas for the unprivileged children, she informed. NCHD has designed its education programs focusing especially for the deprived women, she added.
Talking on the occasion she marked, NCHD had made 3.8 million literate among them 95% literacy centers were for women in the remote areas. The society should be made aware that both boys
and girls are equal, and they have equal access and opportunities to education as well as other resources, she observed. There are 5,949 formal feeder schools of NCHD functional all over the country with 355,000 enrollment alongwith 6000 adult functional literacy centers, she viewed.
“I urge my field staff to devote their energies towards education, skill development and empowerment of women, which refers to strengthening the social, economic and educational status of women” she stressed.
Director General NCHD Ms. Samina Waqar, CEO Pakistan Human Development Fund (PHDF) Zafar Haider Jappa and other experts and educationists also attended the event.