The Free and Compulsory Education Bill recently passed by the Senate needs to be implemented immediately with maximum budgetary allocations, so that the objectives of the bill could be achieved.
This was the crux of the seminar titled 'Right to Free Education', organised by Unesco here on Thursday. Dr Kozue Kay Nagata, Unesco representative to Pakistan, Senator Ms Saeeda Iqbal (PPP), Senator Najma Hameed (PML-N), Senator Farah Aqil (ANP), Professor Rafiq Tahir from Ministry of Education, and Senator Haji Adeel (ANP) were among the participants.
Dr Kozue Kay Nagata said, "My first challenge was to support the Government of Pakistan in enforcement of Article 25-A on free and compulsory education for all children aged 5-16".
She added that the Free and Compulsory Education Bill was not formulated keeping in view the routine bureaucratic system. This legislation is unique in the sense that it has been initiated by people's representatives and supported by all political parties. "Once this bill is formally transformed into an Act through required process, the next step would be its implementation."
Free education means education without any education-related expenditure on stationary, schoolbags, and transport. Ensure admission of children of migrant families as well.
Senator Haji Adeel said, "In war against terror, the country has lost 5,000 schools that increased the illiteracy in Pakistan. There are some schools in the remote areas that are being run without teaching staff. These ghost teachers are getting salaries without teaching the children. It is sad to know that this year during the matriculation exam, not even a single girl appeared just because of increasing terrorism".
Professor Rafiq Tahir said that the approval of Bill is a land mark step in the history of Pakistan. "18th amendment has ensured the rehabilitation of the 1973 constitution in the sense that the powers have been devolved to the provinces and now the provincial governments can themselves determine the ways to bring about improvements in the educational sector of Pakistan. The need is to invest more in education and health sectors that would bring fruitful results in future".
Senator Najma said that the Bill should be implemented properly to get maximum benefit out of it. "For those poor children who have to work to make both ends meet, evening schools should be started in all the four provinces. They should be provided free uniform, free textbooks and stationary. They should not be deprived of their basic right of education".
Senator Farah said that Pakistan is far behind achieving the millennium development goal set for literacy. Children in KPK are paying a heavy price of the war on terror. Their schools are being burnt and most of the schools do not have competent teachers. "The said Bill will help in resolving the issues related to education.
Dr Saeeda said that parents could also be held responsible for lesser literacy rate in Pakistan as compared to the other neighbouring countries.
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