A PAKISTAN-born daughter of a Bengali maid working at my place is studying in Class IX of a government school in the vicinity of PECHS. The school authorities in recent weeks asked her to submit the Child Registration Certificate, also known as Form B, which has to be obtained from Nadra, in order to enroll with the Board of Secondary Education.

To acquire that, the parents’ original CNIC has to be taken to the Nadra office, along with the child’s original birth certificate issued by the Union Council, because any other, such as from a hospital, is unacceptable.

For that purpose, the girl’s mother first went to the Nadra franchise located in the vicinity twice and then got sent to the main office in Awami Markaz (after taking a day off from work). They told her their CNICs were invalid and the Form-B could not be made.

She then informed me. I happened to know one of the girl’s teachers and approached her for help. The kind lady took the trouble of visiting the nearby Nadra franchise. On the first day, the official she talked to saw the documents and told her to send the student’s father along with the original documents and he would do the needful. I went along just in case some forms were required to be filled, as the girl’s father is uneducated.

To make the story short, after three visits by the teacher and three by me, as also by the girl’s father or mother, the job still couldn’t get done because each time the official on duty asked for some or the other document which the parents couldn’t provide.

By now, we have all given up, which means the poor student, who is extremely upset, having shown her eagerness to acquire education by attending first a private school in a katchi abadi and then a government-run school for a total of eight years, won’t be able to enroll for the Board exams and thus end her education.

I am wondering why the Board has made this a necessary requirement.

Anyway, in case a student is unable to get the CRC, as with this girl, the Board should show leniency by issuing instructions urgently that a copy of their birth certificate duly attested by the school principal or accredited official is acceptable in lieu of the CRC.

I am sure that some other students are also facing a similar problem.

A SENIOR CITIZEN
Karachi