KARACHI, July 2: The provincial government’s plan to educate children involved in paper picking and garbage collection under Bait-ul-Maal’s non-formal education scheme could not be initiated, despite initial preparations by the provincial education and labour ministries.

The provincial labour ministry had chalked out a detailed plan in early last year, according to which, paper-pickers and street children would have to be engaged at non-formal schools for imparting technical training to them.

It had been decided, earlier, that financial and technical help would be sought from the UNICEF and the International Labour Organization to implement the plan.

Officials in the labour ministry said that the plan had been prepared in the light of a survey conducted on the garbage collecting children to evaluate its effects on society.

As per statistics, 27 per cent children wished to acquire education, while 33 per cent expressed their interest in vocational education. The provincial labour and manpower department was supposed to provide vocational education and skills training to these children, officials added.

There were plans to ask solid waste management wings of different cities to make arrangement for the collection of garbage from houses, streets and roads.

It was decided that an official should be deputed as in charge of the filth depots so that children could be restricted from garbage collection.

Launching of a campaign was envisaged through electronic and print media about hazardous effects of open garbage on environment and children’s health.

About 479 children, collecting garbage, were interviewed out of which 63 per cent were from Punjab, 23 per cent from the NWFP, two per cent from Sindh and one per cent from Balochistan. About 11 per cent of them were Afghans.

All the children belonged to nomadic families, 85 per cent of them had been living in slum areas.

Of the total surveyed, 67 per cent belonged to age group of 10 to 15 years and 22 per cent garbage collectors were below 10 years, while a small segment of 11 per cent were above 15 years. Around 52 per cent of these collectors were the children of labourers; 12 per cent were orphans.

About the health condition of these children, the survey revealed that 91 per cent of the children enjoyed good health while six per cent were handicapped. About 96 per cent of such children were illiterate.—PPI