Community schools get short breather

SC suspends govt decision of closing down 15,101 schools.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday suspended the government’s decision of closing more than 15,000 primary schools running under the community schooling programme. The SC ordered that the schools will not be closed until the final decision on the petitions filed by teachers, asking four provincial secretaries to submit their reply before the court on the project on the next hearing.

A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry was hearing three constitutional petitions filed through Agha Muhammad Ali Khan, making the federation of Pakistan through secretary Planning and Development Division and others respondents.

Under the National Education Foundation (NEF), 15,101 Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) are imparting education to 561,000 students throughout the country. After the 18th amendment, the federal government initially handed over the project to the provinces but decided to close it down after the provinces refused to run it.

The lawyer contended that the federal government can not be absolved from its constitutional obligation under Article 25 (a) and 37 (b) which guarantee education to every child of eight to 16 years of age.

Khan added that Pakistan was expected to achieve a literacy rate of 85 per cent by the year 2015 and being a signatory to various global treaties, including Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as Convention for Elimination of All Kinds of Discrimination against Women and such measures would jeopardise the education goals.

The chief justice observed that non-acceptance of the community schools by the provinces is an unconstitutional act, adding that for the public welfare the provinces should own the project with open-mindedness. The court adjourned hearing till July 29.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2011.