Protection of Child Rights in Context to Education in Pakistan

The major reason behind the economic backwardness of Pakistan is that despite adequate efforts, Pakistani government still fails when it comes to promising increase in the level of literacy and the provision of proper education across the country. This lack of education and awareness is also supposedly the major reason behind the escalating violence within the country and is intimidating Pakistan’s peace and progress.

Although mostly the educated sector of the society is expected to make efforts in carrying out the movements for the improvisation of the educational system of the country but, this problem can be eradicated from the society by just extensively addressing and creating awareness about it amongst the people to create a positive impact on some extent.

In context to the educational system, there is one thing that is common between India and Pakistan’s history, i.e. the approval of Right to Education (RTE) Acts in Pakistan in 2012, followed by in India in 2009. On comparison, one would find out that although Pakistan’s model has a lot of points exactly the same as those present in India’s model, but still Pakistan’s version is still much better and has less flaws than India.  

In this article, the major focus is on the height of power and strength the authoritative body of the educational sector of the country must have. In India, the government had apparently given authority to the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) but, there still are some rules it is coerced to practice according to which this act has no appropriate control over the relevant governmental departments and cannot practice its rights quickly. 

On the contrary, Pakistan’s legislative authority comes with the Education Advisory Council whose main purpose is to keep a check and balance and also acknowledge the government on various requirements of the educational sector. Its responsibilities also include that they should make efforts to make sure that every child in the country attends the school. 

In the upcoming years, it is expected that those who have the charge of setting up rules for Education Advisory Council of Pakistan in their hands, will come up with a stronger vision for the better education system and also for the sake of effective education for the underprivileged children.

NGOs Joining Hands To Promote Education In Pakistan

Education is very essential for the progress of any country. It not only just frames up the mind of the countrymen, but also provides them with ultimate direction about how they can pursue their life efficiently. Education not only just mobilizes a particular nation; it is also a trigger for the society's appropriate socio-economic development.

Every nation that invested in the improvisation of its educational system has enjoyed fruitful results later. It is a very saddening fact that Pakistan even till today, lacks behind in the universalization of its basic educational system. The factors that happen to be the biggest barriers in the progress of educational system of this country are the cultural, economic as well as the political factors. Since government alone cannot handle such extensive pressure, many non-profit organizations have emerged, specifically the civil society to, in collaboration with the government, promote education in Pakistan.

Recently, a goal has been set by the National Education Policy 2009 to escalate Pakistan’s literacy rate up to 86%. They want the concerned authorities to achieve this target till 2015. The government of Pakistan with the help of NGOs is primarily focusing on the rural areas where due to lack of awareness and gender inequity a lot of people are deprived of education.

The latest researches have revealed that the stupendous efforts made by the government of Pakistan with the NGOs are successful and educational sector within Pakistan is improving a lot.

Though there are still many flaws that prevail in the schools initiated by the NGOs. Despite the provision of free education and books to the underprivileged children many NGO official and teachers complain that the furniture being used within the schools and sometimes the buildings also are in ultimate bad shape and do not fit up to the standard of education they are aiming to provide.

Since the students who are being provided the educational services by the NGOs usually include the underprivileged and the poor families of the country, incentives should be provided to them to encourage them to enroll their children to such schools for the better future of their children.

Government also needs to financially support the NGOs so that they can provide wages good enough to drag talented individuals to join teaching profession. This way the quality of education would also get better.