MULTAN, March 7: Unfair admission rules have led to the underutilization of the Workers’ Welfare School which was set up to provide free of cost education to workers’ children.

In Sept 2000, the school was shifted to its new building constructed over 32 kanals with an expenditure of Rs55 million. Around 3,000 students can get education in separate branches for boys and girls.

Nearly 60 per cent seats are reserved for the workers’ children who have been imparted free of education and given free uniform, books, stationery and transport facilities.

People other than workers have to pay Rs300 per month to get their children admitted to the school.

Despite much efforts, only 500 children of workers are currently on the school’s rolls.

Principal Ms Rashida claimed unjust rules of admission was the prime reason for low turnout. She told this correspondent that the workers having less than five years’ experience could not get their children admitted, adding a majority of industrial units’ workers were employed on daily wages.

She said not more than two children of a worker could get free of cost education which was also unjust.

One of the prime objectives of the school establishment was to provide the workers’ children healthy interaction with those of non-workers’ to minimize sense of inferiority among them, she said, insisting the objective could be achieved only through flexibility in rules.

When contacted, District Labour Officer (DLO) Shaikh Sabir said provincial minister for labour and manpower Gen Muhammad Tariq (retired) showed resentment over low turnout in such an elevated project.

He said he had apprised the labour union leaders of the significance of the quality of education imparted in the school. The labour department would also launch a campaign to let workers know about the school, he added.

However, the DLO remained silent over the comment of unjust rules to be the major cause of low turnout.—Nouman