ISLAMABAD: Dr. Muhammad Shahid Soroya, the Director-General of the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE), celebrated a significant achievement on Tuesday as he met targets to increase school enrollment in Islamabad. Every child of school-going age is now being enrolled, with the establishment of evening and afternoon classes in formal schools.
Speaking to a private news channel, Dr. Soroya highlighted the success of the “Zero Out-of-School Children (ZOOSC)” campaign in Islamabad, conducted in collaboration with JICA and the Ministry of Education and Professional Training. Over 71,000 children have been enrolled in schools, effectively eliminating the number of out-of-school children in the capital.
Dr. Soroya emphasized the government’s commitment to providing education to every child in the province. He mentioned that the government is offering free books and improving the educational environment in institutions. Teachers are actively engaging with communities, compiling lists of children and persuading parents to send them to school.
Various strategies have been adopted for the campaign’s success, including converting schools to offer evening and afternoon classes. Dr. Soroya expressed gratitude to all involved while acknowledging the challenges faced, particularly in ensuring equal access to education.
He believes that the success of this campaign could serve as inspiration for similar initiatives nationwide to address the issue of children not attending school. —APP
