Right to Free and Compulsory Education in Pakistan: Enforcement of Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Abstract

Defining the duties of federal and provincial government in enforcing Article 25-A along with providing recommendations for future courses of action.            

The background paper provides explicit guidelines on the strategies that must be adopted by federal and provincial government in order to enforce article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan that guarantees the right to free and compulsory education for all children aged 5-16 years. The study highlights the low quality of education and high illiteracy rates within Pakistan and therefore ascertains that successful implementation of article 25-A will depend on drafting further legislation that supports the article while also increasing the educational budget as a percentage of GDP. Incentives such as free food, free uniform or stipend must be offered in order to increase enrollment rate within poor community while punitive provisions and disincentives must be designed for parents that fail to enroll their children within schools despite free education. Motivational drive must be created through campaigns and media that spread the awareness of the significance of education. It is held that the federal government has a duty to provide financial support while implementing a mechanism to monitor enforcement of article 25-A. Conversely, provincial government must design laws that help in enforcement of article 25-A while identifying further sources to fund education. Accessibility to schools must be enhanced by expansion and incentives must be presented to poor while an enrollment drive must be launched to sensitize parents to send their children to school.

The study concludes with several recommendations as a way of going forward including deigning a proper legislation, doubling the educational budget, providing special federal grants, encouraging stakeholder involvement such as media and setting up a free education fund for the purpose of collecting donor aid.

Publishing Year: 2011

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