Education dept aims to institutionalise Sindh Children’s Parliament: secy

The secretary of the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department (SE&LD), Zahid Ali Abbasi, has said during an interim review and way forward session that while every stakeholder is engaged in the betterment of education, the children themselves were previously often left out.

The introduction of the Children’s Parliament Sindh ‘Right to Education’ has filled this gap by connecting these children with the relevant stakeholders and policymakers at district and provincial level, he said in a statement.

Thar Education Alliance, with support from the Sindh Education & Literacy Department (SE&LD), Reform Support Unit (RSU) and UNICEF, launched an initiative with an aim to empower children and promote the right to education across Sindh. Abassi said Sindh should be proud of this initiative, as all the parliamentarians in this forum truly represent the voices of children from rural areas.

He discussed the importance of the forum, citing the success of the initiative when a member of the Children’s Parliament approached the deputy commissioner for the establishment of a science lab. He noted that this approach was not only unique but also effective.

The SE&LD currently oversees 1,658 education clusters, so in next phase we should have one male and one female representative from each cluster. The department aims to institutionalize this initiative and will work towards allocating a dedicated budget for Children’s Parliament Sindh under a distinct budgetary head. In addition to SE&LD, the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) will also play a role in this initiative.

The secretary concluded by stating that the 64 members of the Children’s Parliament will play a vital role in the upcoming enrollment drive in Sindh.

Chairman Sindh Human Rights Commission Iqbal Detho stated that the Children’s Parliament is a great symbol of Syed Sardar Ali Shah’s leadership. He highlighted the parliament’s efforts in advocating for inclusive education and recognizing education as a fundamental right. Detho emphasized the importance of the legal framework and overall structure of the children-led parliament, adding that a Children’s Parliament caucus should be formed.

UNICEF Education Specialist Asif Abrar praised the achievements of the Children’s Parliament, noting that today they are receiving valuable suggestions from experts on the future direction of this initiative. He commended the energy and commitment of the young advocates for education rights.

Chief Executive Officer Thar Education Alliance (TEA) Partab Shivani said that TEA has always spearheaded innovative initiatives, with the Children’s Parliament being one of them. Initially starting with the Thar Children’s Parliament, TEA is now working towards the Sindh Children’s Parliament. In order to retain out-of-school children, focusing on non-formal education. Additionally, they have provided bicycles to female students to help them reach school without difficulty. Also promoting STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education throughout Sindh. Essentially, TEA’s approach focuses on reaching out to out-of-school children and ensuring their retention through a child-to-child approach.

The review meeting was attended by individuals from various sectors, including the education department, civil society, legal professionals, and policymakers.