ISLAMABAD: Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, on Friday underscored the need to challenge societal norms hindering girls` education.

He was delivering a keynote address at a national symposium titled `National Education Emergency: On Out-of-School Children` organised by Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights of the National Assembly on Friday.

The minister said harnessing Pakistan`s large youth population required collective decision-making and legislative action to curb brain drain by creating opportunities for education and employment within the country.

The event convened by MNA Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan brought together parliamentarians, pro-vincial ministers, members of provincial assemblies and senior officials from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to address the alarming issue of 26.3 million out-of-school children (OOSC) in Pakistan.

A statement issued here said Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan welcomed participants and emphasised the critical need to tackle factors such as poverty, gender inequality and infrastructure deficiencies contributing to the OOSC crisis.

She highlighted prime minister`s declaration of an educational emergency as a pivotal step and called for legislative and collaborative measures to improve access to quality education.

Senior ministry officials, including Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, presented strategies aimed at reducing OOSC numbers. Key initiatives included the prime minister`s school mealpr ogr a mm e, health and hygiene projects, solarp o w e r e d schools, technology parksand free health services for students. Special focus was placed on providing transportation for female students and addressing regionaldisparities.

During the discussion, MNA Syed Ali Qasim Gillani called for better data sharing and proposed penalties for parents denying education to their children. MNA Zahra Wadood Fatemi stressed the need for effective implementation of government initiatives, while MNA Nawabzad a Mir Jamal Khan Raisani highlighted the problem of ghost schools and employees in Balochistan.

Participants proposed integrating provincial and federal efforts and aligning strategies with ongoing projects. Legislators and officials emphasized the importance of tailored, region-specific solutions and increased budgetary allocations to combat the crisis.

Concluding the symposium, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan expressed gratitude to participants for their contributions. A group photo marked the event`s close, symbolizing a unified commitment to addressing Pakistan`s educational challenges.