LAHORE:As many as 1000 non-formal schools are being established in south Punjab with the
cooperation of UNICEF to educate illiterate people by the Literacy Department.
Addressing a press conference at Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR)
here on Monday, Secretary Literacy and non-formal education Wajihullah Kundi
said that under the ‘Taleem Programme’ as many as 4.3 million illiterate children
were provided education. He said the department had established special literacy
centers for drivers, sanitary workers, gardeners, fishermen and transgenders.
The Secretary said that special special programme would be organized on Literacy
Day to be observed at provincial level to mark the World Literacy Day being observed
on September 8, except flood-hit areas including Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur.
In the special programme, Chief Minister Punjab Parvaiz Elahi will be the chief guest.
He said the literacy department was established during the last tenure of Ch Parvaiz
Elahi to meet the social and financial requirements of illiterate people in society.
Kundi said 4.3 million children were provided education under the ‘Flexible Education
Programme’.
He said that 13,519 students were still enrolled in schools under the initiative, adding
that literacy target of 75 percent would be achieved by 2025 while in 2030 it was set
for 84 percent.
He said that 1273 centers were operational in jails, where 36,900 adult and youth
education centers were providing basic education and skills to inmates.
Wajiullah said that 10,000 underage labourers working at brick kilns were given
admission after the establishment of 300 schools.
Similarly, at Multan railway station, first ever school had been established for porters.