ISLAMABAD: A literacy cell claimed to have been established by the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) around three months back does not exist.

“A literacy cell was formed at the FDE this August on the directives of the minister of state to improve the enrollment rate and decrease dropout rate in schools.

Literacy cell comprises the director general, director literacy, deputy director literacy, assistant, assistant education officer, and inspectors (evaluation),” read an official press release issued by CADD on November 2.

In reality, no notification has been issued to appoint anyone as director literacy and no other staff members have been hired. No office/room has been reserved this cell either.

“The cell is functioning in air,” said a senior officer of FDE. It was supposed to focus on over 27,000 out-of-school children of the federal capital.

A senior officer at CADD told Dawn: “It was a good initiative by the minister but I don’t know why this project is facing delays,” he said, adding that paper work was almost complete and hopefully in the next few days the cell will be formed.

It is relevant to note here that the state minister for CADD, Barrister Usman Ibrahim, while addressing at an event held in September at Islamabad College for Boys in connection with World Literacy Cell, also announced that a literacy cell would be established at FDE.

Tahir Bhatti, a spokesman for FDE, told Dawn that on the directives of the minister, the FDE had forwarded three names for the post of director literacy to CADD.

“We forwarded names of Tanveer Ahmed, Professor Munir Anjum and Bashir Arian. Our minister is keen to establish this cell and hopefully in the next few days someone will be appointed director literacy,” he said.

He added that teachers have played their role in improving enrollment rates.

“The newly appointed DG is taking this matter very seriously; he has been holding meetings with area education officers to improve literacy rates,” he said.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed director general of FDE, Aamir Ashraf Khwaja, when asked about literacy cell at FDE, refused to comment.

“Since, I only joined the FDE a few days back so at the moment I cannot say anything on this issue,” he said.

CADD Additional Secretary Qaiser Majid Malik confirmed that the cell is yet to be established. He said paperwork has been completed and someone will be appointed director literacy soon.

“Some candidates have given presentations to the minister. I hope that this matter will be resolved in the next few days,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2014