Filling the gaps: Committee on education highlights loopholes

Representative cites lack of synergy between various govt branches.


Our Correspondent January 08, 2015
Thus far, all provinces and territories have enacted Right to Education bills except K-P. Even Balochistan, which has close to two million children out of school and a literacy rate of only 44%, has enacted a Right to Education Bill in 2014. STOCK IMAGE

PESHAWAR: At an oversight meeting organised by the provincial assembly’s Standing Committee on Education, participants deliberated upon the stagnancy of the Right to Education Bill in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). They said the proposed law has still not been enacted despite the inclusion of Article 25-A in the Constitution of Pakistan almost five years ago. As a result, the province has a literacy rate of only 52% with approximately 2.5 million children out of schools.

Civil society, education experts, parliamentarians, and government functionaries representing the education department, the law department as well as the finance ministry attended the meeting to discuss gaps in the enactment of the bill and the provision of free and compulsory education in K-P.



A representative from the law department argued that the reason for delays had to do with a lack of synergy between various departments. “Why is Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa lagging behind when all other provinces and territories have enacted bills? Do our children not matter?” said Amina Sardar, an MNA representing PML-N.

Participants also touched upon other issues along with education in K-P, including a very dismal literacy rate for females, the impact of militancy on attendance and retention, poor governance and a lack of effective, responsive oversight mechanisms. Under the Right to Education article, the state is obligated to provide “free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 5 to 16 years in such a manner as may be determined by law.”

The Right to Education article was added to the Constitution of Pakistan in 2010 as part of the 18th Amendment. The amendment also placed the onus of legislating on education issues with provincial governments.

Thus far, all provinces and territories have enacted Right to Education bills except K-P. Even Balochistan, which has close to two million children out of school and a literacy rate of only 44%, has enacted a Right to Education Bill in 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2015.

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