面向童工、婦女和邊緣群體的巴基斯坦掃盲項目

    巴基斯坦旁遮普邦掃盲與非正規基礎教育部門秘書阿拉赫·巴克什·馬里克博士因其成人教育和職業技能教育項目獲得孔子教育獎榮譽獎

    為磚窯里的童工帶去改變命運的課程，這是巴基斯坦掃盲項目領導獲得孔子教育獎榮譽獎的原因第一。該獎授予巴基斯坦遮邦政府官員阿拉赫·巴克什·馬里克，以表彰其在成人教育和技術職業教育中發揮的領導作用。
    “2020年使旁遮普邦掃除文盲”包含六個項目，目前已經幫助了120萬5-14歲的失學兒童完成初等教育，其中60%為女童；同時幫助190萬成人獲得基本的讀寫能力和進一步學習的技能。旁遮普邦有4000萬文盲和380萬輟學兒童，其中大多數為婦女和女童，大多居于貧民窟和最貧困的農村地區。
    該項目于2009年發起，計劃于2012年止，目標群體為邊緣人群，包括從未上學的兒童及成人文盲，特別是生活在貧民窟和旁遮普邦掃盲水平最低的農村地區的婦女。
    馬里克博士設計并實施了六個計劃，其財政支持來自巴基斯坦政府、聯合國教科文組織、日本國際合作機構、英國國際合作部及世界銀行都給予了技術支持。
    他說，一開始通過宣傳活動介紹職業技術課程來消除掃盲的障礙。同時也讓家長們和童工們知道，一旦他們的孩子接受掃盲之后，其收入將會有所增加。
    薩比哈·喀恩是來自拉哈兒附近的小城穆扎發哈赫，以前是個女傭，而6個月的功能性掃盲和技術培訓改變了她的一生。她說：“我學習了讀、寫、簡單的算術以及針線活兒，三個月后我自己買了一臺機器開始縫制女士成衣，每天掙500-600塊。我還買了縫紉機和刺繡機，開始設計婚紗，兩年后，我自己開始做起了生意，雇傭了20個技工。我的孩子們上了公立學校，現在我的家庭過上了寬裕的生活。
    11歲的塞亞在非正規基礎教育學校獲得了第二次受教育的機會。現在她已經完成了初等教育并且將進入正規主流的教育系統。“掃盲給我的生活帶來了第二次契機”，她說，“我原本想成為一個醫生，但是在我過了入學年齡的時候我想那便成了一個夢想，現在我的夢想又開現實起來了。”
    項目的成果還包括：
    自2009年以來開展的加強掃盲運動已使1300萬人受益；
    成立了300個成人掃盲中心和200個減災磚窯場的非正規基礎教育學校，為4000個成人和5500名兒童提供掃盲；
    建立社區學習中心，為2400名婦女提供技能型掃盲；
    通過旁遮普掃盲和生活項目，向7500人提供掃盲和技能培訓；
    在非正規教育部門培訓1.24萬教學法老師；
    馬里克說：“文盲帶來嚴重的經濟和社會后果。掃盲將個體轉變成有知識的勞動者，對社會人力資源的形式有著核心作用。同時掃盲也是保護和平的盾牌。”該項目推廣到了巴基斯坦其他地區，以及阿富汗、孟加拉國和印度。
    www.Literacy.gop.pk
    www.punjab.gop.pk
    Mary de Sousa

Child labourers, women and the marginalized targeted by Pakistani literacy programme

Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, Secretary of the Department of Literacy and Non-formal Basic Education, Punjab Province, Pakistan, was awarded the Honorable
Mention of the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy for the Adult Education and Vocational skills programme

    Life-changing courses for child workers in the brick kiln industry are among the initiatives that have helped the head of a Pakistani literacy project gain the Honourable Mention of the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy. Government Secretary of the Punjab Literacy and Non-formal Basic Education Department, Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, was awarded the mention for his leadership role in the Literacy, Adult Education and Vocational Skills programme.
    Through six projects the ongoing programme which runs under the banner “Making Punjab literate by 2020” has enabled 1.2 million out-of-school children aged 5-14, 60 per cent of them girls, to complete primary education and given literacy and life skills to a further 1.9 million adults. The Punjab has 40 million illiterate adults and 3.8 million out-of-school children with girls and women in slums and rural areas the most disadvantaged.
    Launched in 2009, the programme, which runs until 2012, is directed at marginalized groups including children who have never gone to school and adult illiterates, particularly women, living in urban slum and rural areas of the Punjab where literacy levels are lowest.
    Dr Malik devised and implemented the six projects with funding from the Pakistani government and technical assistance from organizations including UNESCO, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Department for International Development, United Kingdom (DFID) and the World Bank.

    He said that initial resistance to the literacy programme was overcome with the introduction of vocational skills courses offered alongside and backed by advocacy and awareness campaigns. Parents of child labourers also had to be convinced that their working children would increase their income level later in life as a result of becoming literate.
For 24-year-old former housemaid Sabiha Khan from Muzaffargarh, near Lahore, one six-month functional literacy and skills programme changed her life. She said: “I learnt reading, writing and simple arithmetic calculations along with sewing and stitching. After three months I purchased my own machine and began stitching clothes for ladies and started earning PKR 500-600 per day. I purchased sewing and embroidery machines and started designing bridal costumes. Now after two years, I have my own business, employing 20 skilled workers. My children have started attending public schools and my family is leading a prosperous life.”
    Eleven-year-old Saira was given a second chance at learning by joining a Non-Formal Basic Education School. She has now completed the primary level and will join the formal mainstream system. “Literacy has given me a second lease of life,” she said. “I wanted to become a doctor but since I passed the school-going age that was a dream. Now my dream has materialized.”
    Achievements across the range of projects include: 
    the Campaign for Enhancement of Literacy which has reached 13 million people since its inception in 2009
    establishing 300 Adult Literacy Centres and 200 Non-Formal Basic Education schools at brick kiln sites providing literacy to more than 4000 adults and 5,500 children 
    establishing Community Learning Centers to provide literacy to skills training to 2400 women
    imparting literacy and skills training to 7500 people through the Punjab Literacy and Livelihood Programme
    training 12,400 teachers in teaching methodology of Non-Formal Education Sector
    Dr Malik said: “The economic and social consequences of illiteracy are huge. Literacy transforms individuals into knowledge workers and is central to the formation of human social capital. Literacy is also a shield for peace.”
The programme has been replicated in other areas of Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India.
    www.Literacy.gop.pk
    www.Punjab.gop.pk
    Mary de Sousa