International Literacy Day was observed across Punjab with the determination that no child in the province will be deprived of at least basic education due to unavoidable reasons. The main event of World Literacy Day was held at Lahore Arts Council on Friday, in which prizes were distributed to the teachers of non-formal schools to encourage them, while the winners of the painting competitions held among the students of non-formal schools were awarded special prizes. On the occasion, Secretary Literacy Syed Haider Iqbal said that the Literacy Department has so far provided education to 4.6 million children of poor and backward families of remote areas. Around 0.6 million children were studying in more than 19,000 non-formal schools.
He said that the literacy department was focusing on technical training of its students and professional training of teachers.
The secretary emphasized the need for hard work to increase the literacy rate, saying that there was also a challenge of out-of-school children due to lack of awareness, the literacy centers would be expanded there.
Syed Haider Iqbal informed the participants about the performance of the literacy department and said that 300 centres were working at kilns, 20 for nomads, 660 in mosques, 1270 in jails, 59 for minorities, 28 in Dar ul Amaan, thousands of students were being given the literacy process in the institutions established for dustmen, while 1000 literacy centers were being establishing in South Punjab. He said that 460 non-formal schools out of 1000, have been activated and 540 would be activated.
