'Govt to pay fee of poor children' - Education for All week
By Our Reporter
ISLAMABAD, April 20: The government will pay the fee of all those children in Islamabad region, who are unable to attend schools due to economic constraints, Federal Minister for Education Zobaida Jalal said here on Monday.
She was speaking after a walk, which was organized in connection with "Education for All" week. The walk started from Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat and concluded at Parliament House. "Besides, the government will also provide them monthly stipends to meet other necessities," the minister said.
If every thing goes well according to the government plans, every child would be enrolled at schools by 2015, which inturn would help improve literacy rate. New schools, recruitment of teachers and free primary education will be ensured under the education for all programme, she added.
The minister said plans worth billions of rupees had already been started in Fata, Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas for the education of children, especially of girls. She called upon the students of Deeni Madaris, who also participated in the walk, to pay equal attention to the modern knowledges.
She said the government has accorded equal status and recognition to the Deeni Madaris so that they could be included in the mainstream of education. During her remarks, she called upon Indian scouts, who are visiting Pakistan nowadays and present on the occasion to play their role in strengthening Pakistan-India friendship.
She also announced the upgradation of primary school for the children of Afghan refugees to the middle level. Meanwhile, a delegation of students along with education minister called on the Senate chairman, Muhammadmian Soomro, at the Senate. Mr Soomro urged the parents to take special care of education of their children with a sense of responsibility both at individual as well as collective level.
