Islamabad, 6 August 2015: The Ilm Ideas programme funded by DFID and managed by DAI organized a day-long conference Education Policy Hub. Ideas partners comprising of leading civil society organizations presented policy asks to the public and private education community focused on key addressing key bottlenecks to delivery.
In her opening remarks Ms. Zehra Zaidi, Team Leader, Ilm Ideas stated that the programme has been working with leading practitioners, activists, and researchers to develop innovation education solutions and voice and accountability model to support education delivery.
In his keynote address Pakistan Dr. Faisal Bari of IDEAS stated that there is a lack of significant evidence gap in the policy process due to which we don’t ask the right questions. “In order to undertake effective policy reform there needs to be a direct link between evidence, advocacy, and policy” he said.
Moderating a session on Resourcing Public Education, Dr. Salman Humayun, Executive Director of Institute of social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) said that the principle challenge faced by public education in Pakistan is linked to the way resources are allocated and spent on public education, and he invited all provincial representatives to comment on resource allocation and utilization for their respective.
During a session on the role of media in influencing and communication education policy reform, Mr Amir Jahangir, CEO Mishal engaged with leading print and electronic media journalists. He stated that education journalism is a powerful policy influencer that can empower citizens to fully understand and practice their democratic rights.”
Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal attended the Education Policy Hub where the Ilm Ideas and partners presented their policy asks. He stated that the government Vision 2025 focuses upon seven major things, and education is a top priority on that list.
The
conference featured prominent speakers Dr. Faisal Bari from Ideas, MPA Sindh - Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, Nohman Ishtiaq an Public Finance Management (PFM) Expert, MPA Balochistan Nasrullah Zeri, Chairman Standing Committee on Education Punjab, Engr. Qamar-ul-Islam Raja, Amjad Pervaiz, from GINI, Najma Shakoor from WWOP, Richard Geary from FESF, Abdul Aleem Memon Secretary Special Education, Sindh, Fazil Cheema, Director Special Education, Punjab, Ifikhar Hussain, DCRO, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Naeema Bushra, Director National Institute of Special Education, Dr. Ambreen Raza, Secretary, Special Education Department, Government of the Punjab, Mubashir Zaidi from Dawn, Tehmina Qureshi from The News, Sajjad Kazmi from Lahore Education Reporters Association, Dr. Siraj ul Hassan from Allama Iqbal Open University, Ahmed Ali from ISAPS, Saeed ul Hassan from Oxfam GB, Abbas Rashid from SAHE, Zehra Arshad from PCE, Nargis Sultana from Open Society Foundation, Aliya Shahid, from Education and Learning Development, Sindh, Dr. Tasleem Akhtar from NCRP, and Baela Raza Jamil from ITA.***