ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: Federal Minister for Capital Administration and Development Nazar Mohammad Gondal on Monday said a degree college for special students would be established in Islamabad.
He directed his ministry to complete all the formalities so that classes in the degree college could be started from the coming session.
Speaking at a function held at the Al-Farabi Special Education Centre in connection with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mr Gondal also promised to ensure the two per cent job quota and other facilities for special persons.
“Special children with distinctive qualities and skills are a gift of God. Their education must not stop at the secondary level.
They must be provided an opportunity to get education at par with normal students.” The minister said the institution would be constructed on the pattern of Islamabad model colleges. He also announced Rs50,000 cash award for the special children who performed different items on the occasion.
Managing Director Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM) Zamrud Khan said they had provided 90,000 wheelchairs to persons with disabilities and 30,000 aides to hearing impaired persons. He said the PBM would provide another 100,000 wheelchairs to the special people.
Director of the Al Farabi Centre Muneer Qureshi the centre was affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. He said students at the centre cannot continue their studies after matriculation. He demanded that the centre should be upgraded.
Talking to Dawn, Mr Qureshi said the establishment of the degree college would resolve the issue of students. “We already have classrooms in the building and only need to hire teachers for the graduation level.”
Later, a seminar was held in a hotel in collaboration with Unesco to highlight the problems of disabled persons.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kozue Kay Nagata, the director of Unesco Pakistan, said Islamabad had been doing a lot for persons with disabilities but still there was more to do.
She said some steps of the government like legislation to declare education compulsory for children of five to 16 years of age in Islamabad were highly appreciable.
She said legislation should also be done to stop discriminatory attitude towards disabled persons.
Atif Sheikh, the managing director of Step - a non-governmental organisation - who was a student of Al Farabi Centre in 1985, said disability never seemed to be an issue for the government. This was the reason that the first national policy for disabled persons was announced only in 2002.
“Donor agencies give funds for disabled persons but there is no system of monitoring. Organisations of disabled persons should be strengthened and persons with disabilities should also play their role for their rights,” he said.
Dr Khalid Ranjha and director general special education Ghayoor Sultana also spoke.
Aamir Yasin adds from Rawalpindi: Special children enthralled the audience with their performances at a programme arranged by the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC).
The event aimed to involve groups of people from all sections of society in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities.
Special students from 10 institutions presented dramas, tableaus, songs and cultural dances.
In her welcome address, Naheed Manzoor said people with disabilities made up about 15 per cent of the world’s population and they needed special care to make them useful members of the society.
MPA Raja Mohammad Hanif Advocate said special persons would have to play their role in the development of the country. He said teachers in special education centers should pay special attention to make them useful citizens.
The students from government schools from Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan, Kalar Syedan, Kotli Sattian, Murree and Kahuta participated in the ceremony.
