Joint efforts stressed to increase enrollment in KP schools

PESHAWAR: The speakers at a seminar on Thursday urged all the stakeholders, including civil society and private institutions, to join hands and support the government in increasing enrollment in schools. The seminar was organised by Alight Pakistan, a non-governmental organisation, here to mark the World Literacy Day.

Director Education Hafiz Muhammad Ibrahim was the chief guest on the occasion. In his speech, the director education said enrollment of over 22 million out-of-school (OOSC) children was the biggest challenge for the government.

The civil society, communities and private sector must forge unity in their ranks and support the efforts of the government to overcome the issue. “Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of the children not attending school and targeted efforts are needed to enroll them in educational institutions.”

There is an urgent need to fill the policy gaps and overcome the constraints hindering the progress to achieve enrollment of the OOSC and uplift the education sector in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shafiulllah Khan appreciated Alight Pakistan’s role in enrolling 816,329 OOSC during the last couple of years across 56 districts in the country.

“Quality education is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also a tool to help achieve other goals such as poverty eradication, decent work, economic growth, reduce inequalities, improve health outcomes or gender equality,” Shafiullah added.