| a. |
Pakistan's commitment to double the rate of literacy
by the year 2000 cannot be accomplished without achieving universal
primary education (UPE). This will be achieved by complementing
the formal primary school system by a strong non-formal basic education
initiative. |
| b. |
A massive Non-Formal Basic Education Program, on
a war footing, will be launched to provide access economically and
expeditiously to all the 5.5 million primary school age (5-9 years
old) children who are at present out of school. The 10- to 14-year-old
adolescents and youth who have missed primary education, will be
given a second chance through a condensed crash course to enable
them to complete the primary education cycle in 2-3 years' time. |
| c. |
The Asian Development Bank sponsored a pilot project
for 15 to 25 years-old rural women. On successful completion, the
program is planned to be replicated nationwide. |
| d. |
Attainment of literacy, social and occupational
skill training programs will equip the beneficiaries with appropriate
income generation skills to ensure socio-economic development of
Pakistan. Educated unemployed adults will also be able to benefit
from these skill-training programs. |
| e. |
Additional strategies, such as the tested Qur'anic
Literacy Program and other methods in collaboration with the other
sectors, will be used to achieve universal literacy. |
| f. |
A Literacy Fund will be created to finance the literacy
movement in the country. |
| g. |
The National Literacy Movement will be launched
on an emergency basis in every village, tehsil and district. All
parties agree that elimination of illiteracy by the year 2010 will
be achieved. |
| h. |
Mosques, wherever feasible, will be utilized as one
of the means of providing non-formal basic education to increase
literacy. |
| i. |
The Prime Minister's Literacy Commission (PMLC) will
prepare a plan of action, in consultation with provinces for a coordinated
effort in the National Literacy Movement. |
| j. |
The PMLC, which is the apex body entrusted with the
task of raising the literacy rate, will be strengthened as a Statutory
Body to enable it to discharge its functions effectively within
the minimum possible time. Adequate funds will be ensured to implement
policy targets. |
| k. |
All the appointments in the Non-Formal Basic Education
Community School/Centres will be made locally, in consultation with
the community, without any political interference. |
| l. |
All the industrial units registered under the Factory
Act would consider it mandatory to make the employees and their
dependents literate. Similarly all the federal as well as provincial
agencies like WAPDA, Pakistan Steel, Directorates of Industries,
OPF, Chambers of Commerce, PTV, PBC etc. shall be entrusted with
the same responsibility. |
| m. |
Another useful resource available in the country,
in the form of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, can be effectively used
in the expansion of literacy programs. It is estimated that there
are more than 870,000 Boy Scouts and more than 320,000 Girl Guides
in Pakistan. These young people have the physical capacity, intellectual
motivation, emotional stability, spiritual commitment and, above
all, basic knowledge and experience to work with communities collectively
in difficult circumstances. They can be entrusted with the responsibility
of implementing some of the non-formal education programs. Based
on the performance and quality of service rendered, a system of
merit certification shall be introduced. |
| n. |
The number of existing Non-Formal Basic Education
(NFBE) Community School/Centers will be increased from the existing
7,000 to 82,000 by the year 2002 to meet policy targets of primary
education both through formal and non-formal methods to enroll 5.5
million out-of-school children. The NFBE Community Schools will
neither be parallel nor permanent, but will be used to accelerate
universal access till formal schooling becomes available to the
unreached. |
| o. |
The proposed targets for both the formal and non-formal
basic education schools will need to be revised in the light of
the Census results made available by the end of 1998. |
| p. |
In hard-to-reach areas 25,000 NFBE Community Schools
will be gradually upgraded to the middle level, over the policy
period. |
| q. |
The implementation would require further resource
inputs and infrastructure at union council, district, province and
national level. At the national level, the PMLC would co-ordinate
with the operational structures at the sub-national level. A major
function of the national structure would be to catalyze coordination
in both planning and implementation at national-provincial and inter-provincial
levels. Similarly, at the provincial level, each provincial structure
would catalyze coordination between provincial-district, and inter-districts,
and in a similar mode at the district and union council level. |
| r. |
The PMLC will involve and encourage all the organizations,
particularly Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in the development
of teacher training packages, learning materials, teaching aids,
etc. The AIOU will also be involved in developing post-literacy
skill training programs through distance learning. The teachers
of NFBE Community Schools will be encouraged to take up PTC and
CT courses of the AIOU to enhance their skills. |
| s. |
Literacy Corps comprising College/University students/teachers
shall be established for literacy programs during vacations. |
| t. |
Khankahs/Mazars (religious institutions) shall donate
a portion of their earnings to the literacy fund. |
| u. |
Development grants to local governments shall be
linked with literacy programs. |
| v. |
If an illiterate prisoner becomes literate, the duration
of his/her imprisonment shall be shortened accordingly. |
| w. |
Driving and ammunition licenses shall be given only
to literate persons. |
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