Financing learning: ‘For education system, government is an unconcerned parent’

Speakers stress need for budget hike, implementation of constitutional right to free education.

ISLAMABAD:

Education in Pakistan is like a small child who always cries for money, but is snubbed by the parents.

These were the words of educationist Safir Ahmed, who was speaking at a policy dialogue on “Effectiveness of Education Financing” organised by the Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) on Wednesday.

While discussing all that is holding the country back from progressing on this front, participants highlighted lack of required funding as one of the major reasons.

Meanwhile, misappropriation of existing resources, absence of coordination among various government departments and negligible monitoring and evaluation were cited as other key factors.

Amir Ali, a research fellow at I-SAPS, gave a presentation on the education budget and its appropriation, pointing out that a major chunk of the budget goes towards salaries and there is no effective capacity-building system for teachers.

He said that despite making clause 25-A part of the Constitution under the 18th Amendment some two years back, not a single province or the federal capital has been able to make legislation to implement the clause ensuring free and compulsory education for children up to 16 years of age. Ali added that along with the legislation, there is also a need for administrative steps to implement it effectively. He added that parents are equally responsible for playing their role in sending children to school. “The budget-making process of education sector should be based on ground realities by taking all stakeholders onboard,” he maintained. Except Balochistan, Ali said, all other provinces already had laws to provide free education, but none had implemented them.

PML-N Member National Assembly (MNA) Sheikh Rohail Asghar, who is chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Education and Training, said that the Punjab government has constituted a commission led by a retired judge to draft legislation for implementing 25-A. “A nation cannot make progress without providing quality education to its children,” said Rohail, while adding that there is also need to increase the education budget.

The participants also pointed out that lack of coordination among different government departments is one of the key reasons behind the implementation challenges. They also underlined the importance of public-private partnerships to strength the system.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2012.