HYDERABAD: Speakers at a seminar held in Chachhro town of Tharparkar on Monday discussed innovative steps for inclusive education in Tharparkar to overcome gaps and ensure a level-playing field to compete with other parts of Pakistan.

They shared their views at the awareness-raising event organised by the Association for Water, Applied Education and Renewable Energy (Aware) in Chachhro’s Arnaro village in collaboration with the Sindh education department.

For the three-year project, the financial assistance has been provided by TDH (terre des hommes), Germany.

It focuses on the challenges faced by education sector and promotes all children’s access to quality education especially those from marginalised communities along with resilience against drought-created situations.

Deputy District Officer (DDO) Education Arbab Khalid Mustafa said that a multifaceted approach was required for improving inclusive education in Thar with unique challenges and this approach should address various aspects of accessibility, infrastructure and community involvement.

He said contribution of stakeholders was essential to promote quality education and enable students to compete with those coming from other areas.

Din Mohammad Dars, an expert in digital literacy from Tharparkar, said it was difficult for Thari students to compete in mainstream education system, therefore, integration of technology with learning process has become need of the hour.

He said by providing students with access to digital resources, e-learning platform and assistive technologies, the gap could be filled.

He said technology could help overcome barriers related to distance, mobility and resource constraints, enabling students to access quality education regardless of their location, he added.

Aneel Kumar, a representative district education officer, said science stalls by students of government schools was indeed an encouraging indicator to show collaboration between schools, students’ parents and NGOs to create supportive environment for inclusive education.

He said education department wanted partnership with NGOs, civil society groups and international agencies for inclusive education initiatives in Thar.

Ali Akbar Rahimoo of Aware said Thari children were more talented than those from other parts of the country but they needed means to adjust themselves as per the demand of the current education system.

He said Sindh government’s initiative of hiring teachers on a merit basis was appreciable but provision of basic facilities which could contribute to creating enabling environment for teaching and learning was equally important at the same time.

Meghan Das, a teacher, said schools lack basic facilities in Thar though they were crucial for providing quality education. He said lack of textbooks, teaching materials and educational aids can hinder effective teaching and learning; so stakeholders should focus on such aspects.

Lal Mohamamd Mangrio, a philanthropist, said addressing deficiencies in schools required concerted efforts from government authorities, NGOs and stakeholders to ensure children get access to quality education in Thar and other underserved regions.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024