One million signatures

Courtesy:- Ali Moeen Nawazish

We are nearing the next elections. Many even say that this is election year. The agendas of all political parties are on the table. Some shout slogans of democracy, some of sacrifice, some of performance and some of eradicating corruption. Yet, a very important slogan still remains missing. The slogan of “Education for All” and “Right to Education”.

Political parties, even those which claim to represent the youth of this country, will talk about everything except education. The coming years will lay a heavy focus on a knowledge economy. An economy built around innovation, skills and educated workforce.

Too long has the youth yearned for someone to come and campaign for their problems. For someone to put it on their agenda. Amidst all the slogans of change by old and new parties and politicians, education has never been on the fore. A lot of stakeholders and different organizations have come together and decided that they will not wait any longer. It is to bring our public representatives on our terms and not be at the mercy of theirs.

With the graciousness of Dubai Cares, OXFAM, PCE, SPARC, The British Council, DCHD and Open Society Foundations, SAFED and IATA have launched a One Million Signature Campaign for education. The campaign itself holds the children as the primary signatories and whereas adults are welcome it is hoped that children will become aware of their rights. The campaign demands that education is acknowledged as a first priority and the state/provincial/federal governments and parliamentarians and political parties step for it urgently. The steps are to: draft a Legislation for Right to Education which shall positively address issues of access, quality and equity; ascertain that the legislation defines roles, responsibilities and the implementation process explicitly; ensure that the drafting of the law undergoes a transparent process of nationwide debate and consultation; devise mechanisms for effective and timely utilization of resources allocated for education; allocate at least 4% of the GDP for education provision across Pakistan; inclusion of Right to Education for Quality learning outcomes in the manifesto of all political parties, and to spread awareness about the importance of education and it being a right of every child.

The idea of the campaign is to not only tell the relevant stakeholders and authorities that the youth of Pakistan cares about education. The idea is to also educate people that without education there can be no expectation of tangible change. Without education we can never be empowered and the chain of exploitation will continue. I am the ambassador of this campaign and Geo and Jang Group through MKRF is also playing a crucial part in getting the word out. Geo and Jang have also played a very important role in highlighting education as an important issue through the Zara Sochye Campaign for Education.

With the elections getting closer, this is the prime time for us to highlight the importance of education and make sure that we empower our nation with the beacon of knowledge, to ensure a stabilized economy, a progressive country, and minimal terrorism.

The purpose of the campaign is also to remind people and the authorities that under Article 25-A of the Constitution, it is the right of every child up till sixteen years of age to get an education from the state. The state is not fulfilling this responsibility and can be taken to court for this.

We see a general discourse of wanting change in our country, and we take it as joint responsibility to mend it. Countries which have a high rate of education have seen change as being possible, rather than just plausible. They see that their educated citizens are able to lend a hand to their country, and make the right decisions at the right time. We must know that education is not about rote learning. It is, in its broadest sense, the theory of practice which has a ripple effect when passed on from generation to next.

Recently a survey by the Institute of European Business Administration ranked Pakistanis as the fourth most intelligent people across the world in a global survey. “Pakistanis are equal to the people of developed and industrialized countries when it comes to intelligence,” the survey report said. The survey quantifies various aspects of brilliance and intellectual work in the nations of the surveyed countries. “Pakistanis outshine in the field of intelligence despite a dearth of required resources and opportunities,” the poll inferred. One can only imagine what Pakistanis are capable of achieving given the right tools.

To sign the campaign and be one of the one million and hopefully more Pakistanis who want to play a part in bringing education as an issue to the forefront you can go to http://safedafed.org/signatures/registration.php and sign the campaign. An even easier way to sign is to just send an SMS; all you have to do is write “ILM” and send it to 8001(charged at Rs0.5 + tax).

It is in our hands to equip the children and youth of our country with the power of education. By supporting this campaign you will not only acknowledge education as a key issue but will be part of a driving force which will hopefully end up making the lives of many better. Every signature matters, each person’s support brings us one step closer to our target. This is the easiest way that you can contribute and you must not miss out on this opportunity. An educated Pakistan alone will transform into a prosperous Pakistan.