Pakistan

Out-of-school: Dismal progress on enrolling capital’s children

Due to reported lack of interest from the administration, only a thousand children could be enrolled

Our Correspondent January 08, 2017

According to the Federal Directorate of Education, 161,400 students are enrolled in federal government schools and colleges, while 42,000 are studying in model colleges in the capital. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: A project by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) aimed at increasing enrollment of out-of-school children in and around the capital has failed to achieve its target.

The out-of-school project had been started to improve enrollment in the rural and urban areas of the capital. Under the project a survey of these areas was conducted which showed that there were about 12,000 children of school going age who did not attend any educational institution.

It was subsequently decided that efforts would be made to enroll these children into schools by providing them with books, bags, uniforms and a stipend of Rs1,500.

According to sources, former FED Director General Amir Ashraf Khawja had decided that these children would be paid cash and their parents would also be provided expenses for groceries and provisions for their households since most of these children used to earn a livelihood for their families.

However, due to reported lack of interest from the administration, only a thousand children could be enrolled.

(TRANSLATION BY ARSHAD SHAHEEN)

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2017.