During a seminar organized by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), experts convened to address the obstacles encountered by children in the impoverished Tharparkar district of Sindh.
Pirbhu Satyani, representing the NCRC for Sindh and Minorities of Pakistan, was the keynote speaker at the seminar held at the Thar Education Alliance office hall in Mithi. The event saw participation from civil society representatives and educators.
Satyani emphasized the NCRC’s commitment to hosting conferences and seminars nationwide to tackle issues affecting children. He acknowledged Tharparkar as home to numerous minority communities and pledged to relay their children’s challenges to the NCRC. Additionally, he mentioned engaging with judges of the Education Department in Sindh to address education-related concerns. Recommendations from civil society would be forwarded to the federal government to enhance the educational environment in Thar.
Pratab Shivani, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), noted the shortage of high schools and colleges in Tharparkar despite having 90% primary schools. He highlighted that over 0.3 million children in Thar are currently not attending school, emphasizing the importance of providing them with educational opportunities.
Shivani proposed granting hardship allowances to teachers in Tharparkar similar to those received by doctors, enabling them to teach in remote areas.
Other speakers at the seminar, including Jitesh Rathi, District General Secretary of GSTA Tharparkar, Raja Sharma, Bharat Kumar, Mahansingh Bheel, and Hemant Kumar, addressed various key issues. These issues ranged from simplifying the process of obtaining birth certificates for children to providing scholarships based on merit for minority affairs. Additionally, concerns were raised about the lack of necessary facilities such as school furniture, the establishment of hostels for schools and colleges, and the need for special arrangements to educate displaced children.
