KHAR: The number of out-of-school children in Bajaur Agency has increased during the last few years and efforts will be made to enrol all such children in schools to improve literacy rate in the tribal region.

This was stated by agency education officer Mohammad Aslam Khan on Wednesday while addressing the enrolment launching ceremony here at the government high school, Inayat Kallay.

The ceremony, organised by the National Commission for Human Development, was attended by officials of the education department, community elders, teachers and social activists.

Mr Khan said that his department was keen to enrol all out-of-school children in schools during the drive. He said that the campaign was aimed at enrolling maximum number of children in government schools, as the number of such children in the agency had increased during the last few years.

He said that special attention would be given to enrolment of girls to improve female literacy rate, especially in remote areas. He said that backward areas had so far been deprived of education due to lack of education facilities.

The official, however, admitted that lack of education facilities and shortage of space and teachers in the existing educational institutions in the agency were the major hurdles in the way of enrolling all children in schools.

Speaking at the ceremony, NCHD programme manager Malik Riaz claimed that about 40,000 children across the agency would be enrolled during the campaign.

He said that several committees comprising religious and tribal elders, officials and social activists had been constituted to make the drive a success.

Later, the participants also held a walk to highlight the importance of education.

PHONE SERVICE: Expressing concern over the prolonged suspension of mobile phone services in Bajaur by the authorities, local chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami on Wednesday threatened to come on roads if the phone services were not restored within a week.

Speaking at a press conference here at Bajaur Press Club, local JI chief Qari Abdul Majeed criticised the authorities concerned for keeping mobile phone services suspended in the region for the last several weeks in the name of security. He said that the suspension of phone services in the agency since March 12 had been causing difficulties for the people.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2016