ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution seeking urgent measures and initiatives by the government to promote literacy among children across the country.
The resolution, moved by Senator Sana Jamali, underlined the fundamental right of every child to access quality education, stressing the need for gender-neutral, geographically inclusive, and socioeconomically equitable educational opportunities.
The resolution urged the government to take effective measures to promote literacy for children and youth in general and girls in particular across the country, as well as strengthen the non-formal education system on an urgent basis to deliver the programs.
It further called for promoting skills-based and innovative learning models to provide the right to education to out-of-school minors and youth, with a particular focus on girls’ education to facilitate lifelong learning.
The resolution stressed taking measures in order to promote gender equality in education and eliminate disparities by ensuring girls’ and females’ access to quality education, besides eliminating all barriers impeding their access to education.
It further called for the start of comprehensive awareness drives to inform both urban and rural communities about the importance of education through workshops, outreach programs, and community events in collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
The resolution pleaded for prioritizing and significantly increasing the funding for education and literacy programs and devising mechanisms to ensure transparency in the allocation and utilization of budgets for education.
Private Member Bills Introduced in Senate
Moreover, Private member bills, including the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Smart Institute of Sciences and Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Right of Access to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2023, were also introduced in the Senate.
Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Senate Chairman, referred all the bills to the standing committees concerned for detailed deliberation after no objection by the government.
