HYDERABAD: Walks, seminars and other events were held in different towns of Sindh on Monday in connection with International Literacy Day.

In Hyderabad, a large number of students, teachers and NGO activists took part in a walk from the Govt Boys Naval Rai Hiranand High School No.1 to the local press club.

The participants were carrying placards inscribed with slogans about the importance of literacy.

They vowed to join in a struggle for the promotion of education in the country.

District education officer Nadir Hussain Soomro, Wahid Bukhsh Jahejo, Sadaqat Hussain, Apa Rasheed Qureshi and others spoke to the walk participants.

KHAIRPUR: Teachers and students of the Shah Abdul Latif University and its model school and activists of the Sindh Children Academy participated in an open dialogue on ‘How we improve literacy and education rate of Sindh’ organised by the university’s archaeology and anthropology museum to mark the day.

Museum director Prof Dr Mastoor Fatima Bukhari shed light on the importance of literacy and observed that teachers, local administration, students and their parents all were responsible for a decline in the standard of education in Sindh. She urged policy makers to incorporate students’ suggestions in the education policy.

Many students expressed their views on the current state of education while speaking at the forum.

BADIN: Several walks and demonstrations were held in Badin city and other parts of the district to mark the day.

The main event was organised by the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) in collaboration with the district education office. NCHD activists, members of civil society, students and teachers held a walk and converged on the local press club.

NCHD general manager Munir Memon, programme manager Kalsoom Shahid Qureshi and others stressed the need for community participation in a vigorous campaign for the promotion of education and enhancing literacy rate in the country.

UMERKOT: Participants in a seminar on ‘Achievement of rights and literacy’ organised by a local NGO to mark the day said progress in any sector was not possible without educating the masses. Peace, development and prosperity and achievement of rights are linked to education, they observed. Maulana Abdul Rehman Jamali, who presided over the seminar, said that only literate segment of our society could cope with any situation confronting the countrymen.

He said each and every member of society should work for enhancing the literacy rate as a mission and not as a livelihood.

He said government departments, NGOs and political and social organisations should join hands against illiteracy and work jointly to promote education.

District education officer Mohammed Ashraf Laghari, educationist Poonj Raj Kesrani, Mir Hassan Arisar, Abdullah Khoso, Bilawal Kumbhar, Mithan Khan Bhambhro, Bansi Malhi and others also spoke.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2014