NCHD enrolls 1.3 million children in schools

About 1.3 million children have been enrolled by the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) in schools under Universal Primary Education programme during two and half years. NCHD Pakistan Chairman and State Minister, Dr Naseem Ashraf has said this in a PTV programme" News Morning," on Tuesday. He said the enrolment of 1.3 children between five to seven years became possible after hard efforts of the volunteers, working in the various parts of the country.
Dr Naseem said the NCHD non-formal schools had been attached with the government schools, and the students studying in those schools were being taught the government schools syllabus.
He also informed the NCHD was providing free of cost education to all the children being enrolled in the schools. To achieve 100 percent literacy rate in the country, the NCHD had also initiated Literacy Programme in 48 districts of the country, he added.
To facilitate an easy access of girls to education, the NCHD had also set-up schools within 1.5-kilometer near their village, he added.
Dr Naseem said the teachers, parents and volunteers were jointly working to achieve 100 percent attendance in the schools. About 80,000 volunteers were providing their services in 18 districts to achieve set goal, he added.
He said presently the NCHD initiated various projects in various parts of the country such as Universal Primary Education, Feeder Schools, adults' literacy and non-formal basics education, primary health care and community midwifery, national volunteers corps, support to education and health, and others.
In response to question about the three-day international conference on "Volunteerims and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," he said the conference had been organised by the NCHD in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Volunteers.
The NCHD volunteers will go from door to door to mobilise and train female volunteer who then further train mothers to save the lives of their babies.
The State Minister said Pakistan had become the first country in the developing world to set-up a National Volunteer Corps for achievement of the MDGs, poverty alleviation and human development.