President Alvi for inclusive education for children with disabilities in schools

KARACHI, Jan 05 (SABAH): President Dr. Arif Alvi has called for providing equal educational opportunities to all children, regardless of physical ability or socio-economic background, by promoting inclusive education in the country. He urged private schools and welfare organizations to support the governments in making education accessible for all children, especially Children with Disabilities (CWDs).

President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed these views during a meeting with the representatives of private schools and schools run by NGOs in Karachi, at Governor House, on Friday. Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi, Sindh’s Minister for Education and Literacy, Mrs Rana Hussain, Secretary Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD), Secretary School Education & Literacy Department (SELD), and representatives of schools in Karachi attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the President emphasised the need for the development and implementation of an inclusive curriculum that accommodated diverse learning styles and catered to the needs of students with different abilities (SWDs). He said that educational institutions should be made physically accessible for SWDs by ensuring the availability of ramps, elevators, and other necessary facilities. The President further underscored the need for drafting a basic chart on Inclusive Education by all the stakeholders, which should include fundamental aspects of inclusive education, including easy access for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in schools, and training of private school teachers on special education tools.

President Dr. Arif Alvi also called for building a consensus on the facilitation of PWDs through inclusive education in Pakistan with the help of government, private sector and NGOs. He said that Sindh’s School Education Department and the Department of Empowerment of PWDs should constantly engage with private schools and NGOs on Inclusive Education. He urged private schools to also share their vision and best practices on Inclusive Education with the Government of Sindh. He highlighted that private schools should take into account the existing legal framework on PWDs while preparing a basic chart on Inclusive Education.

Appreciating the efforts of the National Book Foundation (NBF), President Dr Arif Alvi said that the private schools should go through the NBF’s syllabus on Inclusive Education from class one to eight.

Minister for Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi, emphasised the need to improve the condition of schools throughout the country. He appreciated the President and the First Lady for spearheading the message of inclusive education in Pakistan.

Earlier, President Dr. Arif Alvi was briefed on Inclusive Education by the Secretary of Sindh’s Department of Empowerment of PWDs.
Meanwhile President Dr. Arif Alvi approved reconstitution of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) on the advice of the prime minister.

The president gave the approval under Article 153 of the Constitution. The CCI would be headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan while the chief ministers of the four provinces and three federal ministers would be members of the council. The three federal cabinet members include Federal Minister of Finance and Revenue, Minister of Privatization, and Minister of Law and Justice.