LANDIKOTAL: A welfare organization here on Sunday arranged a walk and jirga to raise awareness on girls’ education .The jirga urged parents to improve girls’ education.
A large number of educationists, parents and members attended the jirga. District Education Officer Planning and Development Khyber Misal Khan Shalmani was the chief guest .
Newly elected local government members, paramedics association president Mujib Khan Afridi, Army Public School Landikotal principal Shah Fayyaz Dawar, Mufti Noor Ikram and Landikotal Press Club president Mehrab Shah Afridi attended the event.
Khyber Youth Forum Chairman Maroof Shah Afridi said the ratio of girls education was not up to the mark. 70 percent of girls dropped out after primary and middle level. Only one percent managed to receive higher education due to the reluctance of parents in the male-dominated society with poverty.
Maroof said local elders and civil society members should join hands with the education officers and Khyber Youth Forum to help increase the ratio of girls. Required staff and a suitable school environment were the core reasons that discouraged parents to stop sending their children to schools.
Education officer Misal Khan said girls and boys had the same constitutional and Islamic rights to seek education. He said not only the government but every citizen was responsible for the dropout of girls from schools. He said the tribal people had come to realize the importance of education for girls.
He said educated mothers would send their daughters to school. A large number of vacancies were lying vacant for want of educated girls to fill the positions. The Education Department was taking steps to bring about a positive change in the state-run schools by providing proper funding, staff and other facilities to attract the children to schools.
He said the government recently released funds to establish play areas in state-run schools and more funds would be issued for further improvement.
Misal Khan said the role of parents in sending girls to schools was pivotal. He said the Education Department had approved the upgradation of a number of schools in Khyber.
