By Rafiullah Mandokhail,
ZHOB: In a bid to quench the thirst of over one thousand poor and unfortunate out of school children, National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has set up a feeder school in Sohrab Goth – a slum area in the East of the city. According to EPI data, there are fourteen hundred out of school children in the unprivileged area that comprises around six hundred huts, with no single primary school in the entire area.
Chief guest of the inaugural ceremony was CM’s advisor on Livestock and Dairy Development Mutha Khan Kakar, while District Officer Education Lal Jan Musakhail presided over the ceremony. Community members and aspiring children in a large number were present on the occasion. Deputy District Education Officer Ghaffar Mandokhail, Dr. Khair Muhammad Mandokhail, DDO Taza Khan Nasar, Coordinator BRSP Malaria Control Program Qutab Mandokhail, Divisional Coordinator National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) Afzal Kakar, Field Officers NCHD Faheemullah Mandokhail and Zairmal Mandokhail were also in attendance.
Deputy Director NCHD Razzaq Kakar in his welcome address said the biggest issue in the education sector we are facing today, is out of school children. Quoting the UN report he said Balochistan is the most backward province in the terms of education and the province is home to the highest proportion of the out of school children.
‘In Balochistan around 1.6 million children do not go to school’, adding that according to article 25-A of the amendment, the government is responsible to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged five to 16 years. NCHD head said.
Addressing on the occasion, Mutha Khan Kakar said that nobody can deny the importance of education because a society without education cannot make progress.
‘Education in general, but the girls’ education in particular is my priority,’ adding, ‘I will leave no stone unturned to improve the creaky education system in the district and will never compromise on this core issue’, he warned.
He also appreciated the efforts of Education department, NCHD, BRSP and other organizations for education.
Coordinator UNICEF funded Education Support Program (ESP) Razziq Jan Kakar said that nineteen Early Learning Program (ELP centers) for children aged 9-11 have been functioning in every nook and corner of the district, where 1050 children are enrolled.
He said children aged between 11- 14-year old are being enrolled in literacy centers to educate them. He also announced an ELP center at the same location in Sohrab Goth, where NCHD has established a school for the first time.
District Officer Education Lal Jan Musakhail, Communication Officer UNICEF Samad Hariphal, Focal Person ESP Seminary Project Molvi Shahab-ud-Din, Field Officer NCHD Khalid Nasar,
Monitoring Officer BRSP Rasheed Nasar and Akhwandzada also spoke on the occasion.