More budgetary funds are needed to cater the needs of children and the government should focus to improve the performance of schools in rural areas, said Nazra Jahan, Executive Director Foundation for Research and Human Development (FRHD). Corruption in school management committee funds was a major curse responsible for poor state of government-run schools in Sindh province, he added.
According to details, the FRHD in collaboration with Action Aid arranged a one-on-one discussion of a delegation of young students with Provincial Ombudsman Sindh Asad Ashraf Malik at Sindh Secretariat.
The primary objective of the meeting was to provide an opportunity to children for discussing education-related issues that negatively affect their academics and integrate vulnerable children with education.
Students discussed their issues with the ombudsman who promised to take immediate notice in order to rectify the same. Three key problems that students were able to highlight amongst many others were the mismanagement and corruption of school management committee (SMC) fund in government schools, students being deprived of their right to free course books by the government and the high rate of student drop-out at class 8th because of their financial inability of affording the examination board fee for matriculation examination.
Members students of children’s councils proposed to ensure implementation of Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act-2013, in its true letter and spirit, specifically Section 10.
They advised to constitute committees (as provided under the Ombudsman’s Act) to monitor the working of government schools, specially posting of teaching staff.
They asked to constitute committees (as provided under the Ombudsman’s Act) to ensure imparting formal and informal education to the juvenile with the view to rehabilitate them.
They demanded access to and support quality professional learning for school staff. They asked to constitute a committee for making recommendations to the government of Sindh for legislation regarding Provincial Employment of Children Act in view of the act promulgated by the federal government in the year 1991.
The delegation asked to increase the SMC fund related to education and create a committee for monitoring the holistic dispersion and utilisation of the fund.
Nazra Jahan said that FRHD acknowledged that education was the most essential ingredient for the development of a nation. “It is a global fact that nations who have reached the heights of the development and prosperity have done it by using education and information as a tool to do it. The students, being the major stakeholder of education system, can serve as an asset to improvise the education tools. And implementation of Article 25-A is a guarantee to eradicate poverty from Pakistan.”
Furthermore ombudsman arranged for a 20 minutes presentation during which children were briefed about children complaint office (CCO) and the precise way through which they could file complaints in line with the mandate of ombudsmen. Secretary Hashim Raza Zadi, Incharge Children Complaint Center Muhammad Ali Shah and Secretary Ombudsman Hashim Raza Zaidi were also present.