– Senator Akram Zaki (Pakistan Muslim League – Q)

– Professor Nizam-ud-din (Jamaat-e-Islami)

– Senator Dr. Abdul Malik (National Party Balochistan)

– Senator Haji Adil (Awami National Party)

– Imrana Syed Jamil (Muttahida Qaumi Movement)

– Akram Shah (Pakhtoonkhua Milli Awami Party)

– Taj Haider (Pakistan Peoples Party)

– Dr. Azra Fazal (Pakistan Peoples Party)

– Pir Mazhar ul Haq (Pakistan Peoples Party)

– Major General (R) Mohammad Tahir (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf)

– Aasia Nasir (Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam – F)

– Senator Rozina Khalid (Pakistan Muslim League – N)

During the discussion, both representatives from JI and JUI-F, professor Nizam-ud-dina and Aasia Nasser respectively, agreed that the knowledge of the world is as important as religious knowledge and that the government needs to provide for this fundamental right for everyone equally. Dr. Abdul Malik criticized the current government for not giving education its due importance and ensured that education is a priority of the National Party Balochistan. From the ANP, Haji Adeel stated the grim state of girls’ literacy rates in Pakistan and the need to upgrade their opportunities. Representing the MQM, Imrana Syed Jamil emphasized that unless discrepancy amongst provinces is not curbed at all levels, progress in the education sector is nearly impossible.

Mr Akram Shah from the PMAP shared the efforts by his party for education access to all children in their province. He lauded the inclusion of Article 25 A in the constitution but reminded us that the implications of implementing this right need to be considered. Major General (R) Mohammad Tahir also shared PTI’s plan to declare education emergency as soon as they come in power and remove all inequalities amongst provinces. Ms Rozina from PML-N said that at the current rate of progress, we will unfortunately not be able to achieve any of the MDGs or EFA targets. She stressed the need for a vision to improve the situation in this sector and expressed hope for gradual change. Representing the PPP, Taj Haider highlighted the need to focus on early childhood education since this is the time for basic human development, while Dr. Azra expressed the importance of inclusive education for girls at all levels. Session one concluded after Senator Akram Zaki (PML-Q) spoke on the significance of Article 25 A and the need to devise actionable steps for its enforcement.

In the second session, prominent members (Secretaries/Additional Secretaries) from the Departments of Education in all provinces and areas presented the status of education progress and shared their views on the implications and way forward for Article 25A. Mr. Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Provincial Minister Education Sindh, elaborated the need for all segments of society to be united for the cause of education.

Children from Aagahi center, Sohan, presented the summary of signatures collected during the One Million Signature Campaign (March 6 to July 10, 2012) and a Charter of Demands to all politicians to demand free and compulsory education provision for all children of the age of 5-16 years as per Article 25 A of the eighteenth constitutional amendment. These Aagahi centers, spread across Rawalpindi/Islamabad, cater for the learning of out of school children, especially children involved in child domestic labor and IDPs.

All representatives of the political parties signed the Declaration for Implementation of Article 24 A: Free and Compulsory Education for all children of the age of 5-16 years.

• Ms. Zubaida Jalal (Pakistan Muslim League – Q)
• Ms. Bushra Rind (Pakistan Muslim League – N)
• Dr. Ishaq Baloch (National Party)

All panel members jointly advocated for the implementation of Article 25-A. It was decided that forums will be established at all levels to effectively legislate Article 25-A and these Political forums may use the One Million Signature Campaign as the basis for further advocacy regarding Right to Education. Furthermore, media will be on-board to play active role in raising awareness on Article 25-A.
At the occasion, children presented the One Million Signature Campaign summary (March 6 to July 10, 2012) and Charter of Demands to all the party representatives present.

• Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman (Punjab Education Minister)
• Dr. Asma Mamdot (MPA & Member of Standing Committee on Education)
• Major (r) Abdul Rehman (PPP)
• Waqas Anjum Afridi (JI)
• Ms. Najma Hameed (Pakistan Muslim League -N)
• Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rahman (Pakistan Muslim League -N)
• Dr. Saeeda Iqbal (Senator Pakistan Peoples Party PPP)
• Ms. Zakia Shahnawaz ( Senior Advisor CM Pakistan Muslim League –N)
• Raja M Anwar (PEF Chairman)
• Justice (r) Nasira Iqbal

The participants in the meeting stressed the need for collective efforts by all the political parties to prioritize and further the agenda of education for a developed and prosperous Pakistan.
MPA Dr Asma Mamdot, who is also Member of Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education, expressed concern over laptop scheme and Daanish schools, saying they were against the same but recommendations of the committee were not heard.The MPA stressed the need to shift priorities, saying that 250 government schools in her district, Rajanpur, were without the facility of drinking water. She said education – especially education of girls – should be our priority as a nation.

Justice (r) Nasira Javed also expressed concern over the Punjab government’s laptop initiative and Daanish schools. She also spoke against discretionary funds saying the same should be abolished as it was road to corruption. She suggested that discretionary funds should be placed in common pool and the same should be utilized only for education.

MPA Major (r) Abdul Rehman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said there should be no division among political parties over education. He said there should be a national level policy on education covered by constitutional body having legal cover. He was of the view that finance was no problem; what lacked was priority and will.The PPP legislator also suggested that funds to the needy ones through Zakat, Bait ul Maal and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) should be linked with education of their children. He also called for decentralization of education sector.

Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) chairman Raja Anwar said education should be taken as a collective issue, underlining the role of private sector in this regard.
Waqas Anjum Jafri of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said there should be no discrimination in connection with education opportunities at any level.

Peter Jacob of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) highlighted what he termed “hate material” being taught to the students. A recent study had found that the situation in this regard had gone from bad to worst in the recent years, he added.

Youth Parliamentarians Syeda Mahreen and Ubaid ur Rahman gave a forceful speech on the role of the youth in the case of education in Pakistan and proposed a way forward for the implementation of Article 25 A. They proposed political favouritism in teacher appointments as a point of key concern to the hindrance of equitable teaching.

Baela Raza Jamil, Trustee/Advisor ITA and Coordinator South Asian Forum Education Development, moderated the panel discussion. She discussed key issues that the Annual Status of Education Report 2011 highlights, especially the gaps in learning and enrollment.
A number of students representing the Youth Parliament brought to light the issue of medium of instruction in schools and highlighted the necessity of promoting our local languages.They proposed more emphasis on gender equality and improving quality through teacher training.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Minister Education Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said it was passion of the CM Punjab that each and every child should get quality education. He said CM Reforms Roadmap for Education was in line with the Article 25-A. Mujtaba defended the Daanish School System and laptop scheme saying Daanish school was basically a benchmark of quality education at public sector institutions. He said people had opposed when his party leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had started work on Motorway, but the same had become a benchmark and its standard was followed during construction of roads across the country.

• Ms. Sharmila Farooqi (PPP)
• Mr. Khwaja Izhar ul Hassan (MQM)
• Mr. Muhammad Hussain Mehnti (Jamat-e-Islami)
• Dr. Arif Alvi (PTI)

IBA Dean Dr. Ishrat Hussain moderated the panel discussion underscoring the critical challenge of governance which undermine resources and challenges of quality, access and gender gaps. The discussion was co-moderated by Baela Raza Jamil, Trustee/Advisor Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi and Coordinator South Asian Forum Education Development. Baela Jamil discussed key issues highlighted by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2011, especially the gaps in learning, enrollment and gender.

Youth Parliamentarians Siraj Memon, Jamal Jamaee and Muhammad Haseeb Ahsen graced the event presenting the challenges of education with respect to implementation of Article 25-A. They addressed the issue of parallel systems and boards of examination as well as the medium of instruction. They highlighted the need for politicians to be forthright and commit to urgent implementation of the Article 25-A.

Ms. Sharmila Farooqi (PPP) said that there are issues in implementing the Article 25-A on the provincial level. The budget for education was 43.36 billion in 2008/9 which has been increased by 164 % in 2012/13 and it is 20% of the total budget. She explained the level of education in government schools is not up to the mark and there are steps being taken in order to manage the issues. Female education has also been the priority of the party and measures have been taken to facilitate and encourage females to come to schools through the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF). Ms. Farooqi also mentioned a very pressing concern which was the teacher appointment in government schools. She mentioned how the World Bank is recruiting teachers in Sindh based on merit. Mr. Arif Alvi of (PTI) emphasized the importance of the Article 25-A and declared this as a fundamental right of every national. Muhammad Hussain Mehnti (Jamat-e-Islami) explained the importance of education in Islam and how the party advocates a non-discriminatory position for both girls and boys. Khwaja Izhar ul Hassan (MQM) said that the government and NGOs have to work together in order to make it possible to guarantee education in every corner of the state.
Certificates of participation were presented to the students and institutions as well as Dr. Bernadette Dean of St. Joseph’s College, Zobeida Mustafa our eminent education expert and journalist, Rattan Saleem from Right to Play and to Sadaf Zuberi for the Sindh Education Foundation for making the unique OMS campaign a success.

• Maulvi Abdul Jalil Jan (JUI),
• Dr. Mohammad Zakir Shah (Markazi Jamaat Ahal-e-Hadith)
• Nasir Khan (PML-N)
• Gul Faraz Khan (ANP)
• Mehmood Jan (PTI)

Dr. Mohammad Zakir moderated the session and also highlighted the lack of seriousness of the government when it came to issues of education. All panelists stated the position statements of their political parties and pledged to formulate actionable steps for improvement in the education sector.

Following were the Panelists at the Consultation:

• Senator Tariq Azeem (Pakistan Muslim League -N) ,
• Senator Haji Ghulam Ali (Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam – F),
• Dr Nadeem Ahmed (Muttahida Qaumi Movement),
• Syed Belal (Jamaat-e-Islami)
• Col. Yunus Ali Raza (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf)

Popular television host and senior journalist Fahd Hussain, also the ambassador for Right to Education (RTE) Campaign, moderated the panel discussion with grace. The discussion was co-moderated by Baela Raza Jamil, Trustee/Advisor Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi and Coordintor South Asian Forum Education Development. Mrs. Jamil discussed key issues that the Annual Status of Education Report 2011 highlights, especially the gaps in learning and enrollment. Atiq Khokhar and Yasir Riaz, representing the Youth Parliament, brought to light the issue of language use in schools and the necessity of promoting our local languages. They proposed more emphasis on gender equality and improving quality through teacher training. The problem of lack of transparency and accountability in our current Education system was also posed as a major concern.

Senator Tariq Azeem emphasized the need to understand the practical implications of Article 25 A; for instance the implication of “compulsory” and the penalty thereof for not sending a child to school. Senator Ghulam Ali stated several positive initiatives undertaken by his party – especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; providing free education in Madrassas being one of them. Dr. Nadeem Ahsan also discussed the initiatives by MQM for education and explained that only the influential groups in power have the ability to bring about change. Lack of expenditure on Education and its inefficient use was repeatedly highlighted. Col. Yunus Ali Raza promised that PTI plans to spend at least five to seven percent of GDP on Education. The need to devise actionable steps and incorporation of them in each party’s manifesto was also emphasized since the current manifestos lacked practical steps to deal with problems in the Education sector. The issues of quality and access in education and gender equality were also touched upon. All parties agreed on formulating a realistic roadmap to deal with the issues raised at the discussion.

Representing the Civil Society and Pakistan Coalition of Education, Mrs. Jamil lauded the passing of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill by the Senate on July 9, 2012, for Islamabad Capital Territory. She stated that the timing of this Bill could not have been better as only two years have elapsed since the insertion of Article 25 A in the 18th constitutional amendment. This fortunately also coincides with the closing of the One Million Signature Campaign for Right to Education where one million signatures have been collected from children (90%) and concerned citizens all over Pakistan to demand implementation of Article 25 A and the prioritization of Education.