KARACHI: Academics, govt, media to help boost literacy rate
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 8: Various organizations and educational institutions held seminars and workshops, meetings, walks and demonstrations in the city to celebrate the World Literacy Day on Thursday.
The Mass Communication Department of the University of Karachi on Thursday organized a seminar on “Role of Mass Communication in the Promotion of Education”. Speakers referred to ground realities and felt that there was still a long way to go for achieving the universal target of “Education for All”.
They observed that despite the passage of significant time and expenditures in the name of education, institutions of learning still faced shortage of teachers and related facilities.
Students of the department made various presentations based on short duration researches, which suggested expansion of early childhood care and education; free and compulsory primary education of good quality; promotion of learning and life skills programme for young people and adults; expansion of adult literacy by 50 per cent; and elimination of gender disparities in access to education.
In addition to students’ presentations, representatives from the print and electronic media also deliberated on the issue, emphasizing the role of students and universities in building a progressive and established society.
Speaking at the inaugural session, the KU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Pirzada Qasim, said that students should come forward to play their role for bringing about a social change and create awareness. He noted that the educated segment was the actual privileged class of society. “But, they should feel the social responsibility in this regard as well,” he said.
He mentioned that 17.5 million children in the country were deprived of education as they had never seen schools, a situation which demanded shift in the attitude of educated and privileged individuals.
He said that people belonging to the academia, industry and media as well as government should join hands to overcome the crucial educational scenario.
KU Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Akhlaq Ahmad, Dean of Arts Faculty Dr Mohammad Shamsuddin, Chairman of Mass Communication Department Dr Tahir Masood, and Chairman Sociology Department Dr Fateh Mohammad Barfet, journalist Sajjad Mir and Abid Hussain, industrialists Sardar Yasin, Station Director of Radio Pakistan Karachi Nisar Memon, also spoke at the seminar.
Meanwhile, a walk was organised by the directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education, Sindh at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy, Dr Hamida Khuhro, who led the walk, addressed the participants, and pointed out that Sept 8 should not be taken as a day of celebration.
The day called for working devotedly for the promotion of literacy in the country, she said.
She said that individuals should contribute to government efforts for increasing the literacy ratio. She also urged that more and more youngsters in the age group of five to seven years should be enrolled in schools.
In another event, veteran labour leader Habibuddin Junaidi said that provision of quality education to the children of labours, farmers and other poor people was amongst the basic responsibilities of the state, adds PPI.
Speaking to a delegation of workers on the occasion of “International Literacy Day” at the All Pakistan Trade Union Organization office on Thursday, he said that handing over education to the private sector was tantamount to depriving 90 per cent of the population of their constitutional rights.
KARACHI, Sept 8: Various organizations and educational institutions held seminars and workshops, meetings, walks and demonstrations in the city to celebrate the World Literacy Day on Thursday.
