Free and compulsory education to be provided across Punjab

In 2010, the Constitution of Pakistan was amended to include Article 25-A, which guarantees every Pakistani kid a free, high-quality, and egalitarian education. In 2014, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act. Despite the fact that this provincial law has been in effect for seven years, it has yet to be informed. So, what was the sense of passing a law that the government had no intention of enforcing? " During a roundtable discussion in Islamabad with members of the Punjab Standing Committee on School Education, Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), raised this question along with the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services. Civil society organisations such as CPDI, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA), and Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) convened this parliamentary roundtable (PIPS).

Punjab's Provincial Standing Committee on School Education's Chairperson The roundtable was moderated by Ms. Aisha Nawaz Chaudhary. In response to Mr. Mukhtar Ahmed's query, she informed civil society stakeholders that the standing committee was working closely with the provincial education department, and that the law will be announced soon. "This standing committee's primary priority is the notification of the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act. We'll start implementing it in phases soon, starting with Punjab's most vulnerable areas."

"The best way forward is to have stronger involvement between legislators, education department officials, and civil society activists so that the subsequent policy orientation is both participatory and inclusive," MPA Aisha Nawaz Chaudhary said in her final remarks. She also indicated an interest in hosting similar round tables in Punjab's most vulnerable districts to hear directly from district officials and community members about the issues facing the education system.