CSOs laud oversight role of Standing Committee on Education for Action

PESHAWAR: The civil society organizations working on education rights and child protection have lauded the proactive and oversight role of the Standing Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for addressing the prolonged delay in notifying the rules of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Free and Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Act, 2017.

A press release said that despite the passage and enactment of the Act in 2017, the absence of notified rules had hindered its full implementation and enforcement, leaving thousands of children, particularly girls and marginalised groups, without the guaranteed protections and entitlements envisioned under the law.

During the session of the Standing Committee on April 10, Taj Muhammad, chairman of the committee, had directed the Elementary and Secondary Education Department to submit the draft rules to the committee in its upcoming scheduled meeting. He had urged the department to notify the rules without delay prior to the next meeting.

“We cannot allow legislation passed in the public interest to remain dormant due to bureaucratic inertia,” said Taj Muhammad.The civil society groups said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Free and Compulsory Education Act is considered a landmark law, and notifying its rules is critical to hold duty bearers accountable and ensure every child in the province has access to free, quality education.

They emphasized that the delay in notifying the rules has had negative consequences, such as the lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, the absence of complaint redressal mechanisms, and poor enforcement of enrollment obligations.

“The delay in operationalizing the Act has undermined its spirit,” said Yumna Aftab, Programme Officer at Blue Veins, a civil society organization advocating for girls’ education in KP.

“We commend the standing committee for taking this long-overdue step. Notifying the rules is crucial to bridge the policy and practice gap, especially in a province where out-of-school children, particularly girls, remain a pressing concern.”

The civil society activists, including members of the Rise and Shine Girls’ Education Leadership Network, have consistently called for the notification of the rules as a key step toward making the right to education a reality for all children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The committee directed the government to act swiftly on the committee’s direction and ensure that the notification is issued without further delay, aligning with Pakistan’s constitutional and international obligations under Article 25-A and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4).