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Media Mobilization & Trainings

Media has become vital tool for changing perceptions, and opening new debates in the society. Therefore, to inform a larger audience, the media persons themselves have to be educated on the fundamentals of RTE so they may be able to ask the right questions from policy makers. To achieve this, training of journalists with respect to RTE was conducted.

The objectives of the training were:
• To train journalists on the importance, as well as the salient features of Right to Education (RTE).
• To instigate a public debate on RTE.
• To apprise the policy-makers of their role in ensuring effective and timely implementation of RTE.
• To stress the need of immediate legislation required to make RTE a reality.
• Effective dissemination of the problems of education through Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2011.

Detail of the Workshops:
Five four hour trainings were held in each province and Islamabad. The first session was held on March 19, 2012 in Lahore Press Club, second in Karachi Press Club on March 22, third in Quetta Press Club on March 30, fourth in Peshawar Press Club on April 12 and last one on April 17 2012 in RIUJ (Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists) Secretariat Islamabad.

A total of 30-35 Journalists participated in each workshop with three to four speakers. The session was kept interactive so as to open minds of the journalists and encourage them to share their concerns while reporting on education.

Each session opened with a presentation on the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2011) and the implications of Article 25 A. Then the floor was taken by the speakers who had an interactive session with the journalists on issues pertaining to education reporting. All the speakers talked about the urgent need of making Article 25A a reality and the complications in its enforcement. Dr. Nasira Iqbal particularly focused on how the legislative process should evolve, making the Education Act for India 2009 as a point of reference. Mr. Karamat from PILER and Mr Zafarullah from CCE also shared the issues pertaining to legislation. Ms Zubeida Mustafa shared her views on Quality and Equity, especially considering the mother tongue issue. She emphasized that learning in one’s mother tongue is potentially the most effective means of understanding.

Sessions with Fahd Husain remained most popular since he spoke as a journalist hence all the participants could relate to him. He shared how news about education may be reported so that it becomes more capturing for the readers and audience. The participants shared that making education a priority is difficult as the duty of publishing anything remains in the hands of editors making the reporters powerless. It was stressed that similar sessions should be held for editors as well.

Lahore
Date and Venue:
March 19, 2012. Lahore Press Club
Organized in collaboration with Punjab Union of Journalists
Speakers:
Justice (R) Dr. Nasira Iqbal,
Fahd Husain; Popular Media Host and Journalist
Ms. Baela Raza Jamil; Coordinator SAFED
Bilal Ahmad Dar; General Secretary Rawalpindi and Islamabad Union of Journalist

Karachi
Date and Venue:
March 22, 2012. Karachi Press Club
Organized in collaboration with Karachi Union of Journalists
Speakers:
Zubaida Musatafa; Free Lance Journalist
Karamat Ali; Executive Director PILER
Faheem Ahmed Siddiqui; Journalist and Media Host
Bilal Ahmad Dar; General Secretary Rawalpindi and Islamabad Union of Journalist

Quetta
Date and Venue:
March 30, 2012. Quetta Press Club
Organized in collaboration with Balochistan Union of Journalists

Speakers:
Fahah Husain; Popular Media Host and Journalist
Bilal Ahmad Dar; General Secretary Rawalpindi and Islamabad Union of Journalist

Peshawar
Date and Venue:
April 12, 2012. Peshawar Press Club
Organized in collaboration with Khyber Union of Journalists
Speakers:
Khadim Hussain; Chariman Bacha Khan foundation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Bilal Ahmad Dar; General Secretary Rawalpindi and Islamabad Union of Journalist
Arshad malik; President Khyber union of Journalist.

Islamabad
Date and Venue:
April 17, 2012. RIUJ Secretariat, Evacuee Trust Complex, Islamabad
Organized in collaboration with Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists
Speakers:
Mr. Zafarullah Khan; Executive Director of Centre for Civic Education
Mr. Fahd Husain; Popular Media Host and Journalist
Bilal Ahmad Dar; General Secretary Rawalpindi and Islamabad Union of Journalist