An NGO - Foundation for Rehabilitation & Education of Slow Children (FRESH) solely dedicated to remedial education among children in Pakistan - has made an offer for extending its services to the government of Punjab to operate primary education schools in major cities of the province including Lahore, Sargodha and Rawalpindi.
Ashba Kamran, General Secretary Fresh, said here Monday that key to success in education system of Pakistan is designing of tailor-made primary syllabus in line with the socio-economic background of people of Pakistan. According to her, learning disabilities are behind high dropout rate in Pakistan. Unesco report suggests that 3.8million drop out at the primary level in Pakistan. Only 33 percent of matriculation and 47 percent of F.A students got through the examinations this year.
She said a unified primary education system is not possible in a country where people from different socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and aptitude reside. Medium of instructions at primary level should be in accordance with particular environment of different parts of the country, she said, adding, "Only a community-based education system with need-based curriculum and trained teachers should be the way forward to overcome high dropout number at primary level in Pakistan."
She said her NGO has system in place to produce trained teachers to deal with children with learning disabilities. Further, she said the Fresh has already its presence in three major cities of Punjab and it would be easy for it to train the local community, including parents and teachers, for need-based primary education. Kamran said a sound and solid primary education could change the mental approach of the majority of Pakistanis irrespective of the fact that they adopt any trade or business at a later stage of their lives.