Alarm sounds on out-of-school children crisis

Islamabad: Sounding the alarm on the crisis of out-of-school children, education minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Monday said the ministry had already hit the ground running by declaring an education emergency to address the issue through targeted reforms and strong partnerships.

He renewed the government's commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind in the pursuit of formal learning. Dr Siddiqui shared these views while speaking to a delegation, headed by parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Science and Technology and convenor of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights MNA Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, during a meeting in his office here. The other delegates included the parliamentary caucus's manager (special initiatives), Syed Hazik Bukhari, deputy manager Iffat Pervaiz and deputy manager (media) Mujtaba Baig. The minister lauded the efforts of the caucus for advancing access to quality education for the youth, especially in tackling the complex challenge of reaching out-of-school children.

"The cause of education is the highest of all causes," he declared, vowing not to neglect any underdeveloped area, especially drawing attention to the neglected slums of Karachi and rural pockets across the country.

Dr Nikhat informed him that the caucus was in the final stages of preparing a comprehensive report aimed at offering actionable solutions to the OOSC crisis. "Our consultations with all provincial governments have produced valuable findings," she said, noting that the report will highlight cross-provincial challenges and best practices.

Dr Siddiqui assured her of the ministry's full cooperation in finalising the report through data exchange. He emphasised the importance of data sharing, noting that the Pakistan Institute of Education has been instrumental in collecting reliable data to shape policy interventions.

The minister said that the free meals programme and transport service for students in Islamabad led to a significant increase in enrollment and decline in dropout rates. He promised provision of education to all and said the government won't ignore any underdeveloped area while ensuring every child goes to school.