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ISLAMABAD, Apr 12 (APP):The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights of the National Assembly, under the leadership of its Convenor Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, hosted a Consultative Session on National Education Emergency to address the issue of Out-of-School Children in Punjab.
The meeting focused on identifying the reasons behind the OOSC issue in Punjab province and to devise a tailor-made strategy as per the unique ground realities of Punjab.
Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan extended a warm welcome to the participants, including MNAs Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Asia Naz Tanoli along with Convenor of the Provincial Caucus for Child Rights in the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, Ms. Sarah Ahmed, Chief Planning Officer Education Department Multan, Officials of the Education Department Multan, representatives from the Civil Society and Officers of the National Assembly Secretariat.
During her opening remarks, she stressed on alleviation of the OOSC problem in Pakistan by addressing the root causes of OOSC, including financial constraints, accessibility of students, poverty, child labour, migration & displacement, societal norms that discourage girl student enrollment, and early child marriages.
Member of the National Assembly/Advisory Council Member of Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, while apprising the participants of the initiatives undertaken in Multan District and emphasizing the need to replicate these efforts in other districts, also proposed additional measures to address the issue of Out-of-School Children (OOSC).
He stressed the importance of focused attention from the provincial government on districts in South Punjab that have the highest OOSC rates.
His recommendations included counseling parents of OOSC students, allocation of funds to ensure the necessary school infrastructure, provision of clean drinking water in schools through the installation of Reverse Osmosis Plants, establishment of IT labs to promote skills in Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology, and the initiation of School Alumni Programs in all districts to enhance social and financial support.
He further emphasized the need for improved facilities such as solar energy systems, clean drinking water, sanitation services, and the comprehensive identification of OOSC across all districts.
MNA Ms. Asia Naz Tanoli stressed on setting the minimum standard of all teachers being appointed in public and private schools to be set to 16 years of Education, ensuring provision of subject-based training & refresher courses to teachers in the schools of all provinces of Pakistan, initiation of public service/awareness messages through sms, TV programs and other programs for raising awareness among parents of students in rural areas bearing the most burden of Out-of-School Children (OOSC), resumption Taleem-e-Baligha, acknowledgement of parents and students and to highlight the success stories of parents and students who have struggled and ensured to receive education despite challenges.
Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNA, emphasized the need to initiate programs for children and students focused on basic personal safety, teaching them how to defend themselves, immediately inform their guardians or parents when in a dangerous situation, and escape from dangerous situations.
Citing an example from the Sindh Province, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro underscored the value of collaborative efforts among schools, government departments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address the exploitation of street children by drug traffickers, reduce the number of Out-of-School Children, and provide vocational training through well-designed intervention programs.
Convenor of the Provincial Caucus for Child Rights of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Ms. Sarah Ahmed, informed the participants about the launch of prevention campaigns by the Government of Punjab, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Child Protection Bureau.
These campaigns are focused on sensitizing the police and judiciary to ensure the welfare and well-being of children.
While briefing the participants on initiatives undertaken in Punjab to promote vocational training and skills-based learning for children, Ms. Sarah Ahmed emphasized the need for collective efforts from all stakeholders to ensure the provision of vocational, technical, and skills-based training specifically for girl students.
She highlighted the importance of empowering girls to learn and earn simultaneously, thereby enabling them to financially support their education.
Furthermore, on behalf of the Provincial Caucus for Child Rights of the Punjab Assembly, she expressed full support for the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights of the National Assembly and extended an invitation to visit the Provincial Parliamentary Caucus in the Punjab Assembly.
The Chief Planning Officer and Deputy Director (Schools), along with other officials from the Education Department of Multan, delivered a comprehensive presentation to the Members of the National Assembly.
The presentation covered the ground realities and district-wise demographic statistics related to Out-of-School Children (OOSC) in Punjab. It also highlighted initiatives undertaken by the Government of the Punjab for the upgradation of schools, as well as programs designed to incentivize both students and parents of OOSC.
The Members of the National Assembly proposed a range of measures to address the OOSC issue. These included the implementation of the law mandating free and compulsory education for children aged 5 to 16 years through state intervention, increasing the number of early morning schools to allow children the opportunity to learn and earn simultaneously, assigning Union Councils specific targets for the enrollment of identified OOSC, establishment of sheltered workshops for street children and vocational workshops within schools and raising societal awareness regarding the distinction between child labour and child work.
Additional recommendations included strengthening public-private partnerships and collaborations with civil society, conducting annual performance reviews for all government school teachers, increasing the number of classrooms in primary schools, and upgrading primary schools to elementary level to address accessibility challenges, especially in rural areas lacking secondary and higher secondary educational institutions.
Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, on behalf of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, presented a shield to MNA Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, as a token to appreciation, to acknowledge his contributions and efforts to curb the issue of Out-of-School Children in Pakistan and for his unwavering support to the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights of the National Assembly.
The Consultative Session concluded with a group photograph of all participants, taken to preserve the institutional memory of the event.