Karachi:Hundreds of teachers associated with the Basic Education Community Schools Project (BECS) have appealed to the president and prime minister, governor Sindh and chief minister to save the future of 1,72,000 students, 2,200 teachers and over 100 non-teaching staff as they fear that the project might be abandoned and in that case they would lose employment.
“We have learnt that the BECS and other 52 projects would be closed by June 30. This has spread fear among the teachers and the concerned sections of society since such a situation would render us unemployed,” members BECS action committee told The News.

The BECS action committee had recently organised protest on account of non-payment of salaries and for the continuation of the project.

According to the Chairman BECS action committee Mulla Bux Suprio, the people associated with this project have not been paid salaries for the last nine months. Besides they fear that they would be sacked from their jobs.

The action committee fears that the fate of BECS project hangs in balance in the wake of the 18th Amendment. The project was introduced by late Benazir Bhutto in 1996 as part of the Prime Minister Literacy Commission.

The project was aimed to provide non-formal basic education to the young children. The students of class-I to V used to receive education in a multi-grade class i.e. the students of different grades sit in the same classroom. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic approach never let this project run smoothly.

This system has also been adopted by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and both the countries successfully raised their literacy rate, but in Pakistan authorities concerned created hurdles in the functioning of BECS project, Suprio alleged.

Over 0.1 million students have completed their basic education under this project and now enrolled in class-VI and above in different schools. But owing to the 18th Amendment, the projected was likely to be abandoned, thus affecting the future of 172,000 students, 2, 200 teachers and more than 100 other staffers.

BECS is an informal education system wherein teachers used to follow the Sindh Textbooks Board’s syllabus. In a primary government school a single student costs Rs1200 per month, while under this system only Rs200 were being spent per child.

According to the BECS action committee, Rs70 million were allocated for this project from 2006 to 2010 and Rs44 million funds were still available but the authorities concerned have blocked their dues.

The teachers and members of BECS action committee say that they had tried time and again to meet education minister but all their efforts went in vain. About 0.8 million students are enrolled under this project across the country and 2,092 basic education schools are operating in Sindh, of which 331 are located in Karachi, according Secretary BECS action committee Afsheen Ali.

According to her, BECS is among many projects of National Education Foundation. Under this project children are being taught in a classroom which is usually located in a house of their area. A Matriculate teacher use to get Rs 4,000 salary, while a Graduate or Masters degree holder gets Rs 5,500 salary.

The action committee regretted that the government claims to be a democratic government, but its actions and decisions are totally against the norms and values of any democratic set-up.The news.