IT has been more than seven years since Article 25-A (pledging free and compulsory education for all children between five and 16 years of age) was introduced in the constitution.
However, to this day neither the federal government nor any provincial government has shown any seriousness in ensuring the implementation of this clause.
No wonder that 22.8 million children across Pakistan remain out of school. The problem is all the more precarious in smaller provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan where the percentage of out-of-school children stands at 36 per cent and 70pc. It is also worth highlighting that 53pc of all out-of-school children in Pakistan are girls.
We demand the right to free and compulsory education for our children.
Political parties must pledge in their manifesto to ensure education for all children up to the higher secondary level.
This is the least that the political elite can do to show its commitment to the future of Pakistani children.
