Speakers at a policy dialogue on 'education and role of parliamentarians' on Wednesday stressed the need of Parliamentarians involvement in streamlining the education policy at the grass roots level.
Chaired by Federal Minister for Education Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf Qazi (Retd), the dialogue was organised by the Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) in collaboration with Education Sector Reform Assistance (ESRA) and was attended by Chairperson NA Standing Committee on Education.
Tehmina Dasti, Chairman PCHR, Riaz Fatyana, Director PCHR, Rifat Javed, MNA Dr Farid Ahmed Piracha, MNA Ghulam Murtaza Satti, MNA Riaz Hussain Pirzada, MNA Gul-e-Ferhanda, MNA Iarar-ul-Ebad Azher, MNA Shahida Athar Ali, Dr Salman, DCoP ESRA and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Javed Ashraf Qazi highlighted the plan of action of the government in the education sector. He said the government is keen to provide education to all under its project, National Plan of Action for Education for All (EFA). He said books are being provided free of cost at the primary level and would be provided up to tenth class by the next year.
He said there was objection previously that children studying in the private schools could not write Urdu as it was not included as curriculum in their course.
He said Urdu has now been made compulsory in the private schools so that our children should be bi-lingual and they should know and write English as well as Urdu.
The minister said that Islamiat and Pakistan Studies would also be in Urdu in the English medium schools adding that Islamiat has been made compulsory from class-three which was previously compulsory from fourth class, he added.
He ruled out objections on removal of some materials from the course of Islamiat saying that the current course has been compiled with the consultations of representatives of all sects and news regarding this were baseless.
He said there was no external pressure to change the curriculum of Islamiat saying that the ministry was following curriculum of the Al-Azhar University and external pressure will not be accepted in this regard, he made it clear. The minister said the ministry has re-introduced that examinations of ninth and tenth would be together.
To a question, he said that provinces are free to teach regional languages but it is necessary that all the children should write and know English and Urdu, he added.
Chairman PCHR, Riaz Fatyana said that in the democratic system, parliamentarians represent the people at all level therefor, they are potent force and can make real difference on any issue of public interest. He said they should play their role as they have direct links with people of their constituencies and have better understanding of their cultural and social needs.
Moreover, he said the parliamentarians are in a better position to raise debate and sustain the political will for action on various issues of national importance including the education as well, he added.
Tehmina Dasti emphasised on the need of the committees' role in policy making. She said the MPs should play their role as watchdogs of the society. Dr Farid Ahmed Piracha criticised the government for getting assistance from NGOs in forming the curriculum. Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that the main cause of the failure of the education system was only that Parliament has never been consulted in this regard.