KARACHI, Oct 22: A 10-year (2004-2015) compulsory and free education programme, costing Rs 78 billion, has been drafted by the government under its “education for all” plan.

The plan will bring all school-age children into school and making 13 million illiterate people in Sindh literate, an official source said here on Wednesday.

Sindh education minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat presided over the first meeting of the Sindh Education For All Forum at his office to evolve policies and prepare plans in this regard.

The minister desired that the Sindh education for all plan be based on ground realities; authentic data and targets should be commensurate to the financial resources made available to the education department.

The minister advized the members of the “Education for All Forum” and educationists to further refine the plan for consideration in the next meeting of the forum.

The minister also agreed to the UNESCO proposal that civil society organizations, including media persons, lawyers, teachers’ associations, university professors, religious and minorities leaders and NGOs, be given representation in the Sindh EFA Forum and they be invited to the next meeting of the forum.

UNESCO’s representative appreciated the recent initiatives taken by the Sindh education department for free primary education and free textbooks.

The representatives also assured full support to EFA, particularly for promotion of girls’ education in the province.

The EFA Plan in Sindh has been developed with technical and financial support from UNESCO. The international donors are likely to increase their assistance for education in Sindh after the approval of the plan.

A national plan of action for education for all has already been prepared by the federal education ministry in Islamabad and the provinces are now preparing provincial plans under which 4,080 new primary schools would be opened and 57,040 teachers would be appointed and 176,000 adult literacy classes will be organized.

Senior officials of the Sindh education department and donors, including representatives of UNESCO, UNICEF, Sindh information department and Aga Khan University attended the forum meeting.

Preparation and launching of EFA plan is part of the movement initiated after Dakar World Education Forum and in accordance with Dakar framework of action agreed by 184 countries in April 2000 in Dakar Senegal, to which Pakistan is also a signatory.

The meeting was also attended by Prof Dr. Rafiq Ahmed Siddiqui, director, Literacy and Non-Formal Education and representatives of UNESCO and other organizations.

ISLAMIA COLLEGE: Sindh education minister Irfanullah Marwat on Wednesday assured the students of Government Islamia College for Women Karachi that funds would be provided for purchase of books and computers for college library.