Razina lauds new programme in budget to ensure 100 % literacy, enrollment

ISLAMABAD, May 3 (APP):Chairperson, National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Razina Alam Khan on Thursday
lauded “100-100-100” education programme in budget, saying this would ensure 100 per cent enrollment
and graduation in educational instituions.
The government had taken many positive steps to address issues of 57 million illiterates and 22.6 million out of school children. Vision 2025 envisages spirit and government commitment to education in the country, she said this while addressing 6th Advisory Council Meeting here.
“We are fully geared up along with other stakeholders to achieve 100 per cent enrollment, 100 per cent graduation/retention and 100 per cent literacy rate to bring a glory for coming generation. Our commitment is to achieve place among community of nations as literate and educated society,” the former Senator said.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Nighat Agha (Senator), Aurangzab Haq (Chief Secretary Balochistan), Dr. Haroona Jatoi (Education Expert), Dr Ghulam Haider (Ex-chief economist AJK), Dr. Muhammad Ajmal (Chairman, DNFE AIOU), Maj. Gen Muhammad Tahir, Abid Gill (Project Coordinator JICA), Ms. Shaheen Atiq ur Rehman (Bunyad Literacy Community Council) and Ms. Samina Waqar (DG-NCHD) along with NCHD officials.
In pursuance of the 5th Meeting recommendations, it was informed that Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been requested for inclusion of Literacy and NFE as a subject in scheme of future studies.
The meeting was informed that Revised PC-1 of NCHD has been approved by Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees, endorsed by Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training
and submitted to Planning Commission.
The Chairperson briefed that existing formal system is adding about 1 per cent literacy rate annually and through this pace Pakistan can only achieve 68 per cent literacy rate by 2025.
NCHD believes that if adult population and out of school children are targeted at same time, the targeted literacy rate can be achieved easily, she stressed, saying that NCHD had adopted two-pronged strategy i.e. establishment of 5,949 feeder schools to approach Out of School Children in remote areas across the country and Adult Literacy Centers to access the illiterates.
She said NCHD under Ministry of Federal Education is devising a National Plan of Action 2018-2025 mandated to achieve 100 per cent enrollment and 90 per cent literacy rate.
This plan will share target of population to be addressed in each province depending upon capacity and resources of provinces, she added.
Sharing progress of feeder schools, she said, “We conduct third party validation to assess programme’s progress.”
Razina Alam said National Educational Assessment System (NEAS) conducted assessment of NCHD and BECS Feeder Schools and informed that achievement of learning land marks of NCHD were better than BECS.
Third party validation was also conducted in 100 Madrissa Schools by Development Solution International and result was found satisfactory, she said and added it was recommended the project
is successful so its coverage should be expanded to 500 Madaris and computer literacy to be included in syllabus.
The education data reflects that there is a population of about 6.4 million Out of School Children (OOSC) of 10-16 years; the National Plan of Action suggests various steps to enroll these children, she added.
She said the Plan has suggested establishing 34,000 additional Non-formal Schools and added NCHD and BECS can establish these schools over period of next five years so that impact of 7 million
children can be materialized by 2025.
The Chairperson observed that NCHD will also support provincial education departments/ authorities in increasing enrollment rate through effective enrollment campaigns.
The status of PHDF funding and salient features of PC-1 for (2018-2021) were also discussed in detail.
Members of Advisory Council appreciated efforts of NCHD in field of Literacy and NFE and advised to ensure participation of educational experts of Literacy and NFE into NCHD’s interventions.
She was of the view that budget allocation for education should be increased to 4 per cent from 2.2 per cent of GDP to achieve 90 per cent literacy rate.