Saturday, April 26, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 19, 1429    

SPARC urges govt to allocate 7pc of GDP for Edu sector

Rahmatullah Khan

Peshawar—Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) Friday urged the government to utilize 7 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education sector and provide the facility of counseling to the suicide bombers apprehended by the law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

The former Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government besides taking all the possible steps failed to insure the hundred percent enrollment pledged in Senegal conference whereas the dropout ratio has been increasing, a stated Jehanzeb Khan, Regional manager SPARC addressing a press conference held here in his office.

The convicted and under trial minors behind the bars were being ignored, he said, adding that under the juvenile justice system Ordinance Borstal institutions should establish and meet the basic needs of the minor prisoners.

The regional manager SPARC urged the government to divert their attention to the juveniles and demand to complete the Borstal institute in Bannu district.

Hailing the establishment of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB), Jehanzeb said that with the establishment of CPWB, they would achieve the fruits of their struggle. He informed that Pakistan being getting the international aid for utilizing the 27 percent on education sector is spending only 2.7 percent of its GDP on education sector. That’s why the educational institutes for both male and female faces lack of basic amenities, he added. Jehanzeb emphasizing the need of providing education and basic amenities to the children said that they are launching a project politicians go back to school and during the Global Education Week, he said they along with the politicians and ministers were going to visit the schools and get awareness about the existing facilities.

According to the UNISCO report 2008, he said only 70 percent children throughout the country are attending the primary school. He called on the government to implement the compulsory education Act 1996 besides notifying its rules to achieve the target of children enrollment.

Jehanzeb said that the urban and rural area faces shortage of education institutions with 23 percent and 21 percent respectively similarly in Frontier he said a number of 2.6 million children are out of school. Showing concerns on negligence for the education for all, he said that government is spending 17.62 rupees per day on a child in primary school. Government for achieving the target of hundred percent enrollments should utilize its resources for the education sector, stated Jehanzeb.