LAHORE: Participants at a policy dialogue on education called for framing rules of business under the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014 and their implementation in letter and spirit so that all out-of-school children may be enrolled.

Arranged by the Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) on Tuesday, the dialoguewas participated in by representatives of all main political parties and education department officials.

The participants agreed to a declaration according to which in order to ensure enrolment of all children between five and 16 years of age in Punjab from 20152019, the number of schools should be increased gradually to 1,254 from the present 1,122.

Availability of 4,782 classrooms to accommodate the out-of-schoolchildren should also be ensured.

They also called for allocation of funds in the forthcoming fiscal budget for the construction of 1,620 new classrooms and repair, restoration and rehabilitation of 107 school buildings declared dangerous. Priority should be accorded to repair and restoration of 20 buildings declared very dangerous.

The resolution further suggested that all 2,900 vacancies of school teachers should be Elled during the next ñscal year. The student-teacher ratio should be 40 to 1 according to the government`s own standards.

Earlier, I-SAPS Senior Research Fellow Ahmad Ali said 290,000 children between five and 16 years of age in Lahore were out of school.

He stressed the need for training teachers in English and mathematics.

`It is shameful that we are underperforming in the education sector in spite of spending around Rs11 billion,` he added.