ISLAMABAD: Convener of Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan on Monday highlighted the urgent need for a unified national response to Pakistan`s education emergency.

She emphasised the pivotal role of parliamentarians in addressing this challenge and introduced the PCCR`s flagship report, `Parliamentary Engagement for National Strategy on Education Emergency` during the closing ceremony of the caucus` initiative, `Addressing Pakistan`s Education Crisis: Enhancing Parliamentary Engagement on Out-of-School Children`, held at the Speaker`s Banquet Hall, National Assembly on Monday.

The report, developed through provincial consultations, dialogue and rigorous research, outlines context-specific, actionable solutions to address the root causes of the out-of-school children (OOSC) crisis.

Dr Khan said the report served as a comprehensive roadmap for policymakers, facilitating coordinated federal and provincial effortstoward equitable and quality education.

The event marked the culmination of a comprehensive national effort to prioritise the issue of over 26 million out-of-school children in Pakistan through sustained legislative and multi-sectoral collaboration.

The ceremony brought together members of the parliament, government officials, development partners, civil society representatives and the media to reaffirm a shared national commitment to education reform.

During the event, Mujtaba Zaidi from Anthro Insights delivered a presentation on PCCR`s collaborative efforts with civil society, with a particular focus on the enforcement of Article 25-A of the Constitution.

He elaborated on the socio-economic, cultural, environmental and institutional barriers to education and recommended strategic interventions.

Former PCCR convener Mehnaz Akber Aziz praised the rapid progress of the caucus and commended the formation of provincial child rights caucuses. She stressed the importance of keeping children`s issues at the forefront oflegislative discourse and policymaking.

MNA Zahra Wadood Fatemi shed light on the challenges faced by marginalised families, particularly those contributing to child labour.

She called for vocational training for women from low-income backgrounds and highlighted the impact of gender disparity on school enrolment among girls.

MNA Asia Naz Tanoli underscored the need to eliminate ghost schools and called for mandatory psychological evaluations for teachers to protect students` mental health and ensure quality teaching standards.

Parliamentary Secretary Farah Naz Akbar highlighted the significance of the National Education Emergency declared by the prime minister, framing it as a turning point in acknowledging the scale of the OOSC crisis. She elaborated on the ministry`s data-driven, multisectoral approach to improving access, retention and quality of education.

MNA Kiran Haider drew attention to the lack of basic facilities in schools in Balochistan, especially for girls, citing inadequate sanitation and drinking water as key deterrents to schoolattendance.Speaking virtually, MPA Sarah Ahmed, convener of the Child Rights Caucus of the Punjab Assembly, addressed the vulnerability of out-of-school children to child labour and abuse.

She outlined Punjab`s first child abuse prevention campaign and stressed the importance of community engagement and enforcement of child labour laws.

MNA Syeda Shehla Raza proposed expanding the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to incentivise school enrolment. She emphasised the role of programmes like Waseela-i-Taleem in retaining students in schools.

MNA Sofia Saeed Shah advocated for greater inclusion of underprivileged families in education strate-gies and emphasised community involvement in addressing high OOSC rates.

Minister of State for Federal Education Wajiha Qamar lauded the leadership of Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan and reaffirmed the ministry`s commitmentto tackling Pakistan`s education crisis through inclusive and sustainable reforms.

She highlighted new initiatives such as expansion of school meals, integration of technology and the launch of Matric-Tech and MiddleTech pathways to provide employable skills to students.

She expressed deep appreciation for National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadig for his leadership in establishing provincial child rights caucuses and guiding the PCCR`s engagement at the grassroots level.

She also thanked Federal Minister of Education Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui for his ongoing technical support in the preparation of the flagship report.