There are over 5 million out-of-school children in the country. STOCK IMAGE
Five years since Article 25-A became part of the constitution, successive governments have failed to formulate rules of business for its implementation.
The clause was part of the 18th Amendment, passed in 2010, and promises free and compulsory education in Pakistan for every child between the ages of five and 16 years.
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh have integrated the clause, but have yet to formulate rules of business for its implementation.
On the other hand, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) assemblies have yet to even integrate the clause.
This was highlighted at a discussion titled “National Conference-Right to Education and Pakistan: 5 years on”, organised by Pakistan Coalition for Education at a local hotel on Thursday.
Arif Yousaf, special assistant for Law and Parliamentary Affairs to the K-P Chief Minister, accepting that the provincial government had not been able to pass the corresponding bill, saying, “We have been lagging behind, but now that it has been vetted by the law division, it will soon be forwarded to the cabinet for approval.”
Yousaf said there were several problems, including the role of private educational institutes in passage of the bill and its implementation.
Ghulam Nabi, senior programme manager of the Government of Sindh Sector Reforms Unit, urged participants not to simply blame the government, explaining that “deeply-entrenched structural issues and issues of governance” are interrelated.
He also urged the need for solutions for retention of students, addressing ghost schools and teachers, and improving infrastructure at the educational institutes.
Punjab Education Sector Reform Programme Deputy Director Coordination Kashif Muhammad Ali said that the provincial government was mulling over promulgation of a law and forming a body to regulate private educational institutes and bind them to provide at least 10 per cent of students with free education.
He said that 100 per cent enrollment was a priority along with strict curbs on teacher absenteeism through a ‘high-tech’ attendance registration system.
“We have already piloted it in five districts of Punjab,” Ali remarked.
According to a press release, a panel discussion featuring lawyers, senators and civil society experts the afternoon was also held in the afternoon.
“The issue with education is that studying at a government school is akin to not studying at all. The quality of education is very poor and our students aren’t aware of their rights,” said Gulalai Ismail, an activist and chairperson of Aware Girls.
Senator Afrasiab Khattak remarked that Pakistan was only spending two per cent of its gross domestic product on education and must increase the investment.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2015.
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