KASUR, May 28: The district literacy department has registered 5,029 students in 147 centres, which will start functioning from June this year. This was informed in a meeting of the department, chaired by DO Muhammad Hashim Tareen.

EDO (literacy) Muhammad Aslam Shah, PSO to district Nazim Mohammad Zaman Wattoo, District Jail Superintendent Chaudhry Ziaullah and other officials attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the non-formal basic education programme would provide an opportunity to youths to learn basic knowledge and get vocational training so that they could be able to earn their livelihood with honour.

The DCO urged the literacy department to coordinate with Nazims and councillors in order to pass on the real fruits of the programme at grassroots level. In this regard, monitoring system of the literacy centres would also be improved, he added.

The EDO said four literacy programmes were under way in the district and 390 children from three to five years of age being provided educational facilities in order to prepare them for admission to class one in primary schools. DCO Hashim Tareen appreciated the performance of the literacy department and directed the EDO to start surprise visits to these centres.