Punjab Literacy Department (PLD) is making all-out efforts and striving hard to increase literacy rate considerably as per vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.
According to data received from DPR, Rawalpindi the Punjab Literacy Department has ensured the enrollment of 434,479 out-of-school children and provision of education facilities at their doorsteps through 13,519 non-formal primary education schools across the province.
An education program based on smart syllabuses has also been introduced in the province. Up to 1,449,700 children in 1000 non-formal schools are being provided basic educational facility through Friends of Literacy program.
The Punjab Literacy Department has set up 310 non-formal primary education centers for kiln workers. In addition, a life skills introductory program based on a combination of agriculture and livestock has also been launched which is benefiting a large number of people.
The Literacy Department is currently imparting literacy and technical skills through eight centers of knowledge and skills project. Six shed schools have also been constructed in remote areas of DG Khan and 59 adult education centers have been set up for the minority community.
Similarly, 28 adult education centers for poor and helpless women have been set up in different Dar ul Amans, 14 adult education centers for nomadic tribes and six adult education centers for the transgender community. Apart from this, a ‘boat school’ has also been set up in Muzaffargarh to provide basic education to the children of fishermen.
The present government has taken up the mission of merely raising the literacy rate as well as making non-formal basic education a goal and the Punjab government has given the first literacy policy in the history of Punjab which is a testament to the sincerity of the government.
The teachers of the Punjab Literacy Department are striving to spread the light of knowledge by going to the doorsteps of illiterate people in most backward and far flung areas of the province. The children of the delivers of slums are also being taught basic education. The prisoners in different jails are also being given basic education besides imparting technical training.
Over the years, declining literacy rates have not only been a problem for Pakistan, but illiteracy had become a major challenge for the society.
The country needed a full-fledged struggle to start a new era to address the issues being confronted but unfortunately no significant steps could be taken by the previous governments.
Though, there were tall claims on part of the authorities concerned but the ground situation could not be changed during past regimes. Now, the situation has started changing drastically as the department has introduced some important initiatives to increase the literacy rate.
First time in the history of Pakistan, recently a special boat school was opened at Kot Adhu Taunsa Barrage in South Punjab, which has helped the fishing community of the area to continue their education during their fishing activities within the Indus River. In addition, the children are being educated under the Friends of Literacy program.
Adult education centers have been set up for fishermen. While boat schools have also been set up for the children of fishermen. These fishermen and their children remain busy for fishing in the river for many days, so establishing boat schools will not break their connection with education.
This is a very important step of the Punjab government on which the fishermen have expressed great happiness and satisfaction.
Informal Basic Education and Literacy sector was brought out of mere tall claims and reforms were introduced to bring visible changes and increase the literacy rate to 100 percent. By increasing the number of non-formal educational institutions, all out-of-school children have been provided with compulsory basic education facilities.
The government’s solid steps would also help eliminate the sense of deprivation among the students of non-formal educational institutions and they would be able to get purposeful education.
The officers of the Punjab Literacy Department are working day and night and also get involved the charity organizations and wealthy individuals to come forward and play a role to eradicate the darkness of ignorance.
This is the first time that these institutions and individuals get involved in the process of assisting existing non-formal schools or setting up new literacy centers in different parts of Punjab and joining the mission of the government.
It is pertinent to mention here that financial assistance of private institutions are just to arrange provision of the facilities while matters like curriculum and enrollment of children are monitored and decided by the Punjab government itself.
In order to purposefully increase the literacy rate, the Punjab government has activated literacy centers in jails across the province and where there was need, new facilities have also been provided.
In these adult education centers, illiterate prisoners are being taught not only to read and write but also being encouraged and motivated to repent of their crimes by exposing the virtues of the righteous man hidden inside a human. As a result of the efforts being made by the Punjab Literacy Department, the prisons could now be transformed into centers of change.
The authorities of Punjab Literacy Department expressed the hope that these initiatives of the Punjab government would not only help in increasing the literacy rate but also help in reducing the crime rate in the society.
Similarly, the government has also provided the basic education facilities at social welfare institutions, brick kilns and other places for children as well as adult illiterate women and men which would be increased gradually.
The Punjab Government under Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has carefully examined all the ground realities to raise the literacy rate to 100 percent and found out where and how much non-formal educational institutions and adult education centers are needed. The sector has been made active by reviving old schools and establishing new ones in jails, shelter homes and other places, while some areas have also been selected which were neglected and could not receive any attention in the past.
Punjab Minister for Literacy Raja Rashid Hafeez has awakened the department from silent mode and made it fully functional and is monitoring the ongoing development projects for non-formal educational facilities. Buzdar also takes updates regularly in this regard.
