Education convention stresses need for school reforms in Chitral

CHITRAL: A day-long education convention was held at Government Post Graduate College of Management Sciences and Commerce, Chitral under the auspices of AlifAilan.

This education convention was organized for election candidates from NA-1 and PK-1 to motivate and brief them on a need to improve education facilities on a top priority basis if they are elected in the July 25 polls.

Several politicians from various parties attended the convention to discuss the failing state of education in Chitral, analyze the five-year education plans of assembly aspirants and find a viable solution to ensure quality education at government-run schools.

The convention was organized by AlifAilaan which was attended by parents, young activists and civil society members of Chitral.

Wazir Zada, Israrud Din and Abdul Latif from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Molana Ejazur Rehman and Molana Abdul Haq from Muttahida Maajlis-e-Amal, Molana Sirajud Din from Rah-e-Haq Party and two independent candidates – Haji AbdurRehman and Ameerullah – participated in the convention.

The district is soon going to become an economic zone in the near future via Wahkan corridor that connects Pakistan with Central Asia. Chitral’s declining standards in education raise questions about whether schools are equipped with the right tools to provide students with the necessary skills they would need in the future to sustain and protect Chitral’s environment and economy.

Chitral is ranked 46th nationally with respect to provision of quality education as per Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017 released by AlifAilaan.

Analysis of the educational landscape in Chitral revealed that shortage of post-primary schools, unavailability of basic school infrastructure and facilities and quality of education are the three most important factors contributing to failing education standards in Chitral.

Around 78% of all schools in Chitral are primary level which adversely impact the number of students enrolled at higher levels. Due to lesser number of schools, enrolment drops as students move up the higher classes especially for girls, leading to drop-outs after Class 5. Gender disparity is also evident by the fact that only 30% of all schools in Chitral are for girls, leaving little opportunities for girls to study.

These factors have negatively contributed to poor learning outcomes of students and quality of education. More than 80% of grade 5 students cannot read a story in Pashto, Urdu and English let alone solving simple division questions of grade 2 standard. Any improvement that is sought in the learning outcomes of children has to be backed by hiring of subject specialist teachers immediately.

While speaking at the session, PTI candidates Wazir Zada, Israrud Din and Abdul Lateef pledged to bring reforms for quality and learning outcomes of the students “by improving the syllabus based on international standards coupled with latest digital technology in classrooms”. Mr. Ameerullah focused on speeding up “teacher trainings and appointments of Subject Specialist teachers in the higher secondary schools”.

MMA candidates Molana Hidayatur Rehman and Molana Abdul Akbar said girl’s education would be their main priority in their upcoming term so that gender parity can be improved. Molana Sirajuddin pledged to focus on improving the primary level education, infrastructure and quality, if he wins the election. Demands were also raised from the community members who want to see better opportunities of higher education in their area supported by scholarships. One community member pointed out the misallocation and underutilization of education budget and urged the candidates to make education their priority in the funds distribution when they come into power.

Towards the conclusion, all contesting candidates signed a charter of demands for provision of quality education to children of Chitral, and promised to deliver on the promise if elected during upcoming elections. The charter is backed by a host of organizations, parents and community members in Chitral.

Talking about this education convention Sobia Parveen told this scribe that she learnt a lot from this session and will try to motive elected members towards promoting of quality education at Chitral.