The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights of the National Assembly (NA), under the leadership of its Convenor Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, on Saturday hosted a Consultative Session on National Education Emergency to address the issue of Out-of-School Children (OOSC) 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.
During her opening remarks, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan 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 and displacement, societal norms that discourage girl student enrollment, and early child marriages.
The participant parliamentarians’ recommendations included counseling of 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.
They 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.
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. 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. 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 (MNAs).
The presentation covered the ground realities and district-wise demographic statistics related to Out-of-School Children 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.