Overseas Pakistani Foundation to adopt school in UAE

The Overseas Pakistani Foundation will adopt one school in the UAE in a bid to provide quality education to children of the Pakistani community.

The move will see the school upgraded into a college while its administration will be supervised by the OPF.

It will offer graduation classes to Pakistani students, especially girls, living in the UAE, according to Gulam Sarwar Khan, Pakistani Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis.

Khan made the statements in front of a gathering of community members at the Pakistan Sports and Recreation Club in Dubai.

He was responding to a news report published by Gulf News that highlighted the plight of community schools being run under the supervision of the Pakistani diplomatic missions in the UAE.

"We must give priority to improving standards of education in our schools at any cost if we want our children to compete in the challenging work environment," he said, adding that the OPF would also start 'A' and 'O' level classes in Pakistani schools to provide a wider range of education facilities.

The OPF, he said, would adapt one school during the coming year. "We will provide the funds for the expansion of schools and hire highly qualified teachers," he promised.

He said that he would also make arrangements with the co-operation of the consulate general in Dubai and the community members to start graduation classes here, as it was one of the biggest problems the community has faced.

"We are also striving to have a reserved seat quota for overseas Pakistani students in professional colleges and universities in Pakistan," he said.

The minister, who was on a four-day visit to the UAE to gain first-hand knowledge of community issues, said that he would launch an awareness campaign to educate people about the labour regulations in the UAE.

"We have to tell our people that only skilled and educated workers are required here. We have already established training institutions to export skilled workers," he said.