Over 0.5m children into mainstream education: Senate informed bout BECS’s role

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) are playing an important role in enabling over half a million children, who previously had no educational opportunities, to transition into mainstream education after completing their basic primary schooling.

In a written reply to questions asked by the senators, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training said that “it runs a vast network of 12,304 schools nationwide, serving 453,000 children.”

Besides, it was noted that, in accordance with the Council of Common Interests’ (CCI) decision dated August 6, 2020, schools and teachers have been handed over to the respective provincial governments following June 30, 2021.

At present, BECS is actively operating in the federal capital, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, boasting a total of 1,225 schools – 776 in G-B, 248 in ICT, and 201 in AJ&K, it said, adding “recently, the Education Ministry initiated a dedicated campaign targeting out-of-school children in ICT, named Zero out of School Children in ICT, aimed at ensuring every child has access to education.

The ministry said that BECS has played a vital role in the campaign and successfully identified and enrolled 12,375 OOSC (5880 M 6,495 F) in 373 (338 BECS and 35 ALP Centres), adding BECS can open more schools to improve out of Schools Children subject to necessary approval and provision of funds.

The ministry further informed that Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) was responsible to impart quality education through its 432 educational institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory, adding National Commission for Government (NCHD) is working to improve the literacy rate in the country including the ICT.

The NCHD launched the Each One Teach One literacy initiative under the prime minister’s directives on Education Emergency in the country. Until now, 800 illiterate persons, mainly women have successfully completed the basic literacy and numeracy course.

The House was informed that Higher Education Commission (HEC) has awarded a total of 13,766 scholarships to students from Sindh (rural and urban domicile) during the last five years (July 2019 to June 2024).

In a written reply to questions asked by the MPs, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination informed the House that a total of 1,009 posts were lying vacant at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

It said that PIMS advertised multiple posts from BS-01 to BS-20 in 2018 and 2019 and some posts were filled.

Meanwhile, FMTI Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated and consequently, the recruitment process was withdrawn by Ministry of NHSR&C.

Subsequently, after enactment of PIMS Act, 2023 the recruitment drive has again initiated and recruitment against posts from BS-01 to BS-15 has recently been completed while recruitment against posts from BS-16 and above is under process at level of FPSC.

Recruitment process against 527 advertised posts out of 645 vacant posts is in progress through Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) including 219 posts of doctors and 258 nursing staff.

The House was informed that 259 positions from BS-01 to BS-15 have been filled through a competitive process, out of a total of 404 positions that were advertised.

However, the hiring for the remaining 128 positions in the BS-01 to BS-05 is currently on hold, it said, adding the delay is due to a restriction set by the Cabinet Division, which has classified these job titles as non-core services.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025