HYDERABAD, May 3: Chairman National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) Dr Naseem Ashraf has said that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has pledged to continue government efforts for promotion of education and health, generate employment as well as poverty reduction programme which would help achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

According to a press release of the commission, he said this during his visit to Feeder School village Fakir Rasool Bux Zardari, Nawabshah on Saturday.

He said that for creation of educated, healthy and tolerant society, education plays a vital role and all stakeholders especially newly elected representatives of political parties should give due priority to education sector.

He said that NCDH was working in 114 districts of the country in a brief period and its adult literacy programme was mainly focussing on female literacy to achieve 86 per cent literacy rate by 2015.

He said that funding was main hurdle in promotion of literary and four per cent of GDP should be given to education.

He expressed the hope that new government would allocate all possible resources for education sector and universal access of children to primary education.

He said that their priority was to provide education to people and create awareness among parents to educate their children.

He said that Sindh chapter has reopened 3347 out of 6800 non-functioning schools in Sindh which was aimed at helping the country to achieve 85 per cent literacy rate by 2012.

He added that NCHD provided 7165 teachers to government-run schools in addition to establishment of 13769 literacy centres from where 298394 learners were graduated throughout Sindh during 2006-07 while 86 per cent graduates were females.

He said that for establishment of effective communication the NCHD had installed 88313 community volunteers throughout Sindh to motivate people for community development and create consensus for joint efforts for promotion of society.

He said that NCHD was committed to promote female literacy through volunteerism for development of country to ensure quality education through teachers training. He added that NCHD had also trained 34043 teachers to increase enrolment and prevent dropout rate.

He said that goal of NCHD’s education programme is to achieve 86 per cent literacy rate by year 2015 and for achieving this goal NCHD has devised a strategy which is enhancing net enrolment rates of children in primary education from 62 to 90, reducing dropout rate from existing 50 to 15-20 and through adult literacy centres annually 1.2 million illiterates would acquire basic literacy skills.

He said that NCHD is the primary and largest support organisation of the government for realisation and achievement of MDG in sectors of education, health, capacity building and volunteerism for community development and gender empowerment, operating in 21 districts of Sindh.

He said that human development endeavours of NCHD are supported by a public private partnership between the government, private sector and international donor community for ensuring sustainability in long run and to abide by stringent rules of governance.

The Chairman also attended a briefing at Human Development Support Unit Nawabshah by Director Operation Sindh Mohammad Rajput and attended by DCO Nawabshah Abdul Aziz Uqeli and district government officials.

He visited NCHD feeder school Naveed abad, literacy centre at village Chaudhry Mohammad Jamil and participated in a community broad based meeting.