Education Year 2011, Govt. decides to close BECS project

By jazbablog - Mon Jun 20, 6:03 pm

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ISLAMABAD: National Education Foundation (NEF) staged protest on Monday in front of parliament house against the closure of the “Basic Education Community Schools Project” (BECS) that was founded through a cabinet resolution in 1994.

The project was launched by the late Prime Minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for initially establishment of 10,000 schools, based on non-formal approach to provide basic education at the door step of remote/poor communities or disadvantaged segments of society.

At present in pursuit of devolution under 18th amendment in the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan it was finally decided by the government that the subject project of non-formal basic education will stand closed on 30th June, 2011, as provinces declined to accept the responsibility of these schools.

Assistant Director NEF Bushra Anjum said that currently BECS project have 15101 schools and teachers. About six lakh students getting free education in these schools and 1200 employees are performing duties for the execution of the project.

“Abrupt closure of the project is likely to have political, social and developmental, constitutional/legal repercussions as large number of primary students will be forced towards child labor and terrorism”, added Bushra Anjum.

She said that presently NEF is an autonomous statuary body as restructures under the presidential ordinance XX/2002 with its extent in Federally Administered Areas including Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

She said that through the innovative programs NEF has established 350 schools in FATA, 42 schools in AJ&K and 27 schools in GB.

Ms. Bushra said that more than 80 per cent teachers are female working only on 3000-5000 rupees per month that is too meager. She told that the project has never received sufficient funds except 2-3 years during fifteen years of its history. She added that the project has survived due to dedication and selflessness of its teachers who kept the schools alive despite non-payment of salaries for nine months.

Affecties including teachers, Non-government organizations, communities and employees participated in the demonstration for the review of the decision. The participants chanted slogans and placards in favor of the project.

Meanwhile, the demonstrators demanded federal government and provincial governments must resolve this issue ensuring that neither any school will closed nor any employee will laid off. They committed that in case the government fails to take suitable steps in this direction all employees, teachers, affected communities and students will forced to gather in Islamabad from all over the country and will organize a sit in here in front of Parliament House until the acceptance of demands.