Free, compulsory education: KP government urged to fulfil constitutional obligations

Participants at a launching campaign regarding informal education urged the provincial government to fulfil its constitutional obligations regarding access to free and compulsory education for all, under relevant Article 25-A in the province, termed the education has vital role in establishment of peace and development in the country.
The campaign on titled: "Each one should teach us" was launched by Poha Foundation, a civil society organisation, at function held here other day. Members' civil society organisations and representatives of non-governmental institutions also attended the function.
Riaz Mandokhel, as chief guest speaking on the occasion said that the access to education is right of every child. He viewed the promotion of education prerequisite for establishment of peace and development. "No sufficient efforts were made to provide education facility to all children in the KP", he added.
According to constitution, he said the government prime responsibility to provide free and compulsory education under relevant Article 25-A of the constitution, which he said, inserted via the 18th constitutional amendments, declared "free and compulsory education" a fundamental right for all children aged 5 to 16. But, he lamented despite passage, the KP is lagging behind its constitutional responsibility. He added the implementation of the Article 25-A remains a far cry from reality in the province. However, he stated the public support is also important to promote education and improvement of literacy ratio in the province. He suggested that the year 2015, should be declared as education year.
Shafiq Gigyani, during his speech said the region was neglected in education sector, while education institutions, especially girls' schools, razed in the restive areas of K-P, and Fata. "Pakhtuns are being faced with numerous difficulties, due to low illiteracy rate and lack of awareness, whereas education institutions were destroyed in wake of the ongoing militancy in this region, he observed. He stressed the need for informal education among women at home.
Qamar Naseem from civil society organisation said there was needed to take serious steps to meet with international commitments and goals in education sector by end of 2015. He said the government should focus of those children, which were out of schools, and address issue of dropout ratio, which could only improve present literacy rate in KP.
Owing the prevailing scenario in this region, he said education sector has been badly affected, which needs a serious attention to rebuild and reconstruction militancy-hit education institutions in the province.
Ikramullah another speaker at the function in his address said that access to free and quality education is still dream in the province. Though, he said provincial government is taking steps for promotion of quality education. But, he said education standard of public sectors schools is decreasing with the passage of time, due to mushroom growth private education institutions, which according, him, are playing vital role in promotion of standardised education in the KP.
Other speakers, including Riaz Mandokhel, Taimoor Kamal, Ibrahim Khan, Hassan also spoke on the occasion, and stressed the need for promotion of informal education to provide benefits of various available to other educated people in the society. They urged the government to take measures for promotion of quality education and bring improvement in the existing education ratio in the K-P.
Later, the members of civil society, also held a walk for promotion of education, and demanded the government to ensure implementation of Article 25-A of the constitution, to provide "free and compulsory education", which declared a fundamental right for all children, aged 5 to 16.