Mainstreaming out of school children in Tharparkar

The district education department, Reform Support Unit and District Development Association Tharparkar jointly organized a one day convention focusing on school related hurdles, way forward and mainstreaming out of school children in Tharparkar district here on Tuesday.

Krishan Sharma, president of the District Development Association shared that his NGO with the collaboration of UNESCO Pakistan had supported taluka and district education department Tharparkar for mainstreaming out of school children, improving retention and quality of primary education in the marginalized communities through school improvement and development. ” It is worth to share that the joint efforts of all working stakeholders in Tharparkar, DDAT has mainstreamed 16300 out of primary school children in 700 government primary schools of district Tharparkar” he added.

He further added that the project had also helped the education department create a conducive and child friendly environment at school level with the provision of school missing facilities, WASH facilities, school level furniture, recreational and reading material and establishing of school level reading corners in 200 schools of Tharparkar.

Moreover, DDAT had extended the support to school management committees- and school teachers further to strengthen their capacities on organizational and financial management, development of school plans, advocacy and lobbying, promotion of right of education, multi-grade teaching and activity based learning.

Taking to the event of “district education convention Tharparkar”, Doulat Ram DEO Tharparkar shared that there was still dire need to improve the status of education in the Tharparkar, where they had the shortage of teachers’ particularly female teachers. We need sincere commitment to policy making, and planning to provide the quality education to deprived masses. “Tharparkar has a large number of one room and one teacher schools with less infrastructures and facilities.”” said Doulat Ram.

Ashok Odhano, an educationist said that Tharparkar had the highest ratio of drop-out children which was the constraint to the quality education and attaining sustainable development goals.” He further added that Tharparkar had the lowest number of girls’ primary and secondary schools therefore half of the students’ population was largely compromised. He said that receiving a quality education was the vital right of every child; however a large number had not been enrolled at schools.

Anand Rathi, representative of the reform support unit- RSU said that the role of school management committees needed to be revisited and strengthened which might play a vital role in school development plans and quality education. “It is known that around Rs 30 million of SMCs funds have not been utilized since years and lying unused in SMCs’ bank accounts. Mr. Rathi added.

Mr Prem, Teerath Jhangi, Khanzadi Kapari, Saleem Rahimoon, Syed Munawar Shah, Mukesh Raja, Mama Vishan, Mushtaq Qasamani, Sarang Ram and others also spoke on the occasion.