Free education: Reply sought from education secretary

‘It is government’s responsibility to provide uniform education to all’.

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed on Thursday remarked that a shortage of funds could not be accepted as an excuse for not providing free education to children up to 16 years of age.

He pointed out that the parliament had unanimously inserted Article 25-A in the Constitution for provision of free education to these children.

The judge said it was government’s responsibility to provide children with uniform free education.

The CJ is hearing a petition seeking uniform schooling and provision of free school education, made mandatory through the 18th Amendment. The chief justice sought a reply from the education secretary and adjourned hearing till April 11.

The petition has been filed by Judicial Activism Panel through its chairman Muhammad Azhar Siddique. He submitted that under Article 25-A of the Constitution the state was responsible to provide free and compulsory education to all children from five to 16 years old.

The petitioner requested that the federal and Punjab governments be directed to comply with Article 25-A of the Constitution in letter and spirit.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2012.