'30 Punjab districts have schools for kiln workers' kids'

Presently, schools have been set up in the kilns of 30 districts in Punjab where the kiln labourers' kids are getting education. These kids are being provided one-time food, uniforms and books free of cost. PSTA is providing this service for the last 20 years.
These views were expressed by PSTA's Technical Advisor, Thomas Asberg, while addressing a meeting here on Sunday held in connection of giving education to kids of labourers of kilns and to provide better facilities to them. The meeting was also addressed by President of Kilns Owners Association, Shoaib Khan Niazi, Director of Punjab Labour Human Resource Saeed Awan, Haroon Yousaf and representatives of International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Niazi in his address declared the visualisation wrong that kiln labourers and/or their kids were forced into bonded labour. He demanded of the government of Punjab to give interest-free loan in easy instalments to the labourers so that they could bring up their families in a better manner. He told the meeting that kiln labourers are issued CNIC on demand of the Association.
Director of Punjab Labour Human Resource Saeed Awan said that Labour Department of Punjab was evolving policies for betterment of the labourers and schools were set up at the kilns.
Haroon Yousaf told the meeting that presently schools in Lahore, Kasur, Pattoki, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Chiniot, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Okara Districts were working in collaboration with PSTA. About 3,000 kids are getting education only in Lahore, Kasur and Sheikhupura, he added.
The meeting was told that Punjab government had also set up schools with the help of ILO. Haroon, thanking the association, said that if the co-operation of Kiln Owners Association was not there, then the setting up of schools was not possible.
The Kilns Owners Association assured the meeting that if there were any difficulties in setting up schools at the kilns, it would continue with its co-operation and see to it that these difficulties and hurdles were eliminated as it was of the view that where rich man's kids were getting higher education, then the poor man's kids had the same right of education.