The two day workshop on education for journalists organised by Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) and Oxfam GB concluded here with the participants promising to highlight issues related to education in the media.
During the workshop, journalists discussed issues and hurdles preventing children from accessing quality education. Zafarullah Khan from Civic Education Pakistan (CCEP) provided tips on innovative ideas for education reporting. He said effective reporting in this regard would help make education related issues more visible on the media radar.
The journalists appreciated the PCE efforts to broaden their understanding about education sector, particularly right to education for females.
Online News Agency Editor Abdul Khaliq during the workshop said that the politicians needed to change their priorities and ensure that every child had access to free and quality education. He said Sindh had declared free education for all children and Article 25A should be implemented in letter and spirit.
He further said that the country had to spend more on education, adding that Pakistan spent the least on education when compared to other regional countries. The education crises would get worse if the situation was not tackled on an emergency basis, he said. Moreover, he said that “My right, make it right” campaign would help the decision makers to pay proper attention to rectify the maladies afflicting the education sector.
Eight fellowships were also announced for the journalists participating in the workshop, four for the journalists belonging to Quetta and four for belonging to Karachi. The fellowships would help encourage the journalists to highlight issues related to education in their regions. Similar fellowships were also announced during the Lahore and Islamabad workshops. PCE conducted similar media workshop in all the provincial capitals to educate the journalists about the need to write on education related issues.
PCE was founded in 2005 by a group of like-minded civil society members with the aim of improving the quality of education in Pakistan. PCE had been working in partnership with 200 organisations located in different districts of Pakistan to ensure free quality education for all children. PCE also provided a forum for research and advocacy for promoting new education policies that would help usher in a positive change in the education sector.
