Right to education: K-P govt urged to implement Article 25-A

This was said at a seminar organised by WGGEI, in collaboration with SPARC and ActionAid Pakistan

PESHAWAR:

The K-P government was asked to implement Article 25-A, the Right to Education, which was introduced in the 18th Amendment. This was said on Thursday at a seminar organised by Working Group for Girls Education and Initiative (WGGEI), in collaboration with SPARC and ActionAid Pakistan.

SPARC Project Manager Jahanzeb Khan said the objective of the consultative seminar was to improve coordination between likeminded organisations on a divisional and provincial level by developing a clear understanding of Article 25-A. The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill was being drafted for K-P, said Jahanzeb. According to Jahanzeb, if the bill becomes legislation, children of the province, between the ages of five and 16, will be eligible for free and compulsory education.

UoP Department of Sociology Chairman Prof Dr Niaz Khan said a lack of access to schools and a lack of awareness among young parents are the two main reasons behind low enrolment in institutions. He stressed sustainable development was needed for better policies and improvements on the individual and institutional levels. Niaz pointed out according to Article 37-B the 1973 Constitution, education is free and compulsory up to the secondary level and it was the prime responsibility of the state to implement this law.

“The recipe for an effective education system requires access, the provision of facilities, curriculum and teachers as its key ingredients,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Amina Sardar.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2014.