Majority of Muslim Colony children do not attend school

There are only two schools private running in vicinity of the area which is not enough to cater to needs of residents

ISLAMABAD: Almost 75 percent children of Muslim Colony, a slum area of federal capital have never attended any school due to lack of facilities and awareness.

There are only two schools private running in the vicinity of the area which is not enough to cater to the needs of the residents.



In a visit to National Child Protection Centre (NCPC), headed by Director NCPC, Muhammad Yousaf Shah, community people told that one school is run by non-government organisation Roshni Welfare Foundation while the other one is Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan school with a quite limited capacity.

Local residents said that there are 11,300 registered voters in the locality but not a single government school is available for their children. They further stated that their children are facing severe education and health problems as no dispensary is established in this area and they have to take ailing children to general hospitals of federal capital which are far away.

Officials of Roshni Welfare Foundation shared that they are working on education, health and environment issue but the lack of health and sanitation facilities made the children prone to diseases.

The director NCPC told the area people that Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) is working exclusively to ensure a conducive, safe and secure environment for children.



He informed that they would establish two children complex under the ministry of Human Rights ministry with complete facilities for street children.

He informed that they are currently running a non-formal school for children involved in begging at traffic signals.

He stated that children are future of the nation and education, health is their fundamental rights.

The NCPC head stated that their target is to enrol every child of the federal capital in the school.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2016.