LAHORE:
The Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Ordinance is going to be introduced in the provincial assembly during the next session. The ordinance was promulgated in May and later given a 90-day extension in June.
Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan had earlier said that the bill would be introduced in the assembly in June.
Standing Committee on Education Chairman Raja Qamarul Islam says that the committee has finalised its recommendations on the bill.
“With the promulgation of the ordinance, the contents of the draft bill became public,” he said. “We called for an extension because discussion on the bill was not complete,” he said. Islam said that the committee had held four meetings to discuss the bill. “Anyone who has an objection needs to hand them in writing for consideration,” he said.
The private schools’ associations had earlier raised concerns over the allocation of 10 per cent of seats in each class for the underprivileged.
Private schools will now have the option of contributing to the establishment of new schools or in voucher schemes for the underprivileged.
Islam says that the committee has not received feedback from the private sector. “We tried to reach out to every stakeholder. It is disappointing that when we go ahead with legislation, we are criticised.
However, when we reach out, we receive no formal feedback,” he said.
The committee has also revised definitions of several terms used in the bill. “The law will be introduced in the next session, whenever it is called,” he says. He is confident that the bill will be passed by the assembly.
The bill, calling for free and compulsory education for all children in the 5 to 16 age bracket, has been under consideration since 2010.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2014.
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