MANSEHRA, Aug 28: Speakers at a dialogue on literacy were of the opinion that people should at least be taught how to write their names, do simple sums, write simple letters and read newspapers.

The dialogue was organised by the Literacy for All Project, NWFP, at Mansehra Press Club on Sunday. Managing director of the project Mohammad Mushtaq Jadoon, sector director Shad Mohammad Khan, local social figures Sheraz Mahmood Quraishi and Tajud Din Khan and media personnel participated in the dialogue.

Mushtaq Jadoon said that 4388 literacy centres had been established across the province for imparting education to people in the 9 to 19 and 20 to 40 age groups.

He said in Mansehra district 495 centres had been set up out of which 113 were for men and 382 for women. He said books, blackboards and stationery items had already been provided under the project.

He said the centres had been established at union council level and course in these centres would be of four months. Male teachers with graduation degree and female teachers with FA certificate were being paid Rs2000 per month for teaching three hours a day in a centre. He said school buildings had been selected keeping in view requirements of classes of not more than 25 pupils each.

However, teachers, especially females, had option to take classes at their homes as well if it was convenient for them, he added.

Mushtaq Jadoon said that the NWFP government had allocated Rs1 billion for the two-year project of 2005-7 but it might be extended up to 2015. He said an effective monitoring system had been put in practice for smooth and transparent running of the project.

Speaking at the dialogue, Sheraz Mahmood Quairshi and Tajud Din Khan raised many questions and stressed the need for attracting boys between the age of 9-19 years who were working in workshops, hotels and other work places.

Local newsmen, while taking part in the dialogue, expressed their reservations about functioning of the literacy centres. They indicated a number of ghost literacy centres where neither teachers nor learners were available.

Mushtaq Jadoon assured them that all such literacy centres would be closed and strict action would be taken against those who had been receiving allowances for doing nothing. He said that amount would be recovered from them under the provisions of the Land Revenue Act.