KARACHI, Jan 6: The Sindh education department will launch a comprehensive mass awareness campaign to motivate and mobilize the community for participation in the government's efforts to give boost to education in the province.

The drive to this effect would be launched in collaboration with the federal government's National Commission for Human Development (NCHD). This was decided in a meeting of Dr Hamida Khuhro with the Minister of State and Chairman NCHD, Dr Nasim Ashraf, on Thursday.

The Special Secretary of the education department's, Syed Sohail Akbar Shah, Additional Secretary Iqbal Ahmed Durrani, Senior General Manager, NCHD Sindh Brig Kamran Sharif, and General Manager, NCHD Hafeezullah Abbasi attended the meeting.

Dr Ashraf appreciated Dr Hamida's efforts for the development of education. Quoted her decision to reschedule the academic year from April to August, he said the decision would greatly benefit both children and parents alike.

He also praised the formation of "core group" by the Sindh Education Department and bringing all donor agencies on one platform to work in a coordinated manner, and said the Sindh was second only after the NWFP among the four provinces to develop the education sector.

Dr Hamida told Dr Nasim Ashraf that owing to lack of awareness, people were not ready to participate in the government's efforts of quality education. In this regard, she pointed towards her mass awareness plan and said she wanted to utilize all media channels for community motivation.

On the occasion, Dr Ashraf told Dr Hamida that the FM radio system was the most suitable medium for mass awareness. He said it was cheap and feasible, which covered a radius 50 kms and cost just Rs100,000.

He also offered financial help to the Sindh education department for developing 20 FM radio stations at the district-level, saying the system will bring revolutionary impact especially upon the womenfolk with regard to education.

Dr Hamida welcomed the idea, and hoped that the joint working of the Sindh education department and the NCHD would bring development in this much-neglected sector. The Sindh Education Minister, Dr Hamida Khuhro, also met German diplomat and the Principal Adviser to German Development Corporation, Dr Reinhard Sauer, and discussed ways for developing the education sector in Sindh. - APP