ABBOTTABAD: Participants of a seminar have urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to ensure early approval of the pending education-related bills by the provincial assembly for giving all citizens the right to education.

The seminar was organised by the Working Group for Girls Education Initiatives in collaboration with Sparc and ActionAid Pakistan here the other day.

Participants, including civil society members, media persons, parliamentarians and representatives of government departments and NGOs, reviewed the provincial government’s priorities and initiatives for the children’s right to education in accordance with the national and international commitments.

Professor Niaz Khan, chairman of the sociology department at the Peshawar University, told participants that due to major reforms in the 18th Constitutional Amendment and abolishment of the Concurrent Legislative List, the number of federal ministries, divisions and departments had been shrunk and the subjects they were dealing with including child rights had been devolved to the provinces.

He said lack of access to schools and poor public awareness were to blame for low enrolment rate.

Dr Niaz called for sustainable development besides highlighting issues on the current education system in the country.

MPA Amina Sardar of PML-N said education system was the collection of key ingredients including facilities provision and access, curriculum and teachers.

“We should take action and make strategies for improvement of quality education,” he said.

Project manger of Sparc Jehanzeb Khan explained the benefits and effects of policy advocacy.

He also stressed the need of collaborative efforts for approval of pending bills in the assembly and resource allocation for laws, policies and programmes focusing on legislation for the right to education in the province.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Nuzhat of WGGEI, MPA Nargis Ali of PTI and DEO (education) Riaz Swati.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2014