Right to Education Pakistan, also known as RTE Pakistan or simply RTE, is an advocacy campaign for equal education rights for all children in Pakistan. [1] The RTE campaign stems from low enrollment levels in Pakistani schools, and low literacy levels (especially among Pakistani females) depicted by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER). [2] It functions under the Citizens Movement for Quality Education, an initiative by Idara-e-Taleem o Aagahi (ITA), or "The Centre of Education and Consciousness." [3]
The RTE campaign urges government officials to enforce education laws set forth in Article 25-A of the Pakistani Constitution, which states "The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law.” [4] RTE also aims to mobilize parents, teachers, students/youth and civil society to demand "free and compulsory education" for all children.
The state of education in Pakistan has received a lot of criticism due to a lack of funds for education in the country, and an unequal distribution of Pakistan's education resources. [5] [6] [7] [8] There existed no organization promoting education rights in Pakistan, and no major recognition of the importance of education by the Pakistani government until 1947, when an All Pakistan Education Conference convened, recognizing "Universal Primary Education" as imperative. [9] [10]
In 1959, a Commission on National Education was formed, which suggested that the educational system in Pakistan should pursue quality as an essential objective and recommended compulsory education for children. [11]
In 1973, Article 37-B of the Pakistani Constitution was created, stating that "The State shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period." [12] Also created in 1973 was Article 38-D of the Pakistani Constitution, which states "The State shall provide basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical relief, for all citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, as are permanently or temporarily unable to earn their livelihood on account of infirmity, sickness or unemployment." [13]
In 2010, Article 25-A of the Pakistani Constitution was created, stating that "The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law." [4]
Shortly after the passage of Article 25-A in Pakistan, ITA started the RTE campaign as a means of raising awareness for the new constitutional amendment, and promoting its enforcement.
The Education Youth Ambassadors program was set up in September 2014 by ITA in collaboration with A World At School (AWAS). The program was created build awareness for education rights amongst youth, and strengthen the youth movement for educational rights. The campaign has formed a growing network of over 300 youth ambassadors in Pakistan campaigning for education rights. Pakistani youth ages 18–29 can apply to be a part of the program. Once accepted, ambassadors are given training, and are expected to mobilize and organize other youth to fight for education rights, draft petitions, write letters to their legislature, and make their voices heard globally by writing blogs and posting on social media. [14]
The Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education) Network is a community of companies, individuals, civil society representatives, and philanthropic, and governmental organizations promoting educational rights. Participants in the GBC-Education Network agree to use their influence, personal networks, core business, social responsibility, strategic investments, thought leadership, or philanthropy – in collaboration with companies, government, nonprofits and the educational community – to increase the number of children and youth who are in school and learning. ITA as an active and dynamic organization will be striving to include companies and business class in this movement. In this respect, ITA played a great role in making corporate companies and businessmen a part of GBC education network on March 29. [15]
Shortly after the creation of Article 25-A, RTE launched the One Million Signature Campaign, in which they set out to collect one million signatures from out of school children. The petition proposed that parliamentarians and political parties take the following steps to ensure the adequate enforcement of the constitutional amendment:
Overall, the campaign exceeded its goal, collecting 1,003,117 signatures from March 6 to July 10, 2012. [16]
Because early marriages are related to low levels of education, RTE is aiming to reach politicians, youth, and parents through educational events to create awareness about the detrimental consequences of early marriage and to campaign and lobby for proper legislation. RTE is also providing legal and social aid to individuals affected by early marriages. Along with RTE, there are many partners such as with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and Rutgers WPF, assisting in supporting the end to child marriages in Pakistan. [17]
RTE operates Education Law Centres (ELC) in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The ELC in New Jersey was founded in 1973 for New Jersey's public school children and advocates for educational equality in the United States. It promotes this through coalition building, policy development, communications, research, and lobbying at state and federal level. Through Abbot v. Burke , ELC has advanced fair school funding, and safe and adequate school facilities, which has proved to be effective in closing student achievement gaps in New Jersey. [18]
The ELC of Pennsylvania was founded in 1975 and has strived to make good public education accessible to underserved children such as children of color, children in foster homes, and English language learners. ELC does this through legal work by advocating for new laws and policies, and training and information-sharing. [19]
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, also known as the 1973 Constitution, is the supreme law of Pakistan. Drafted by the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, with additional assistance from the country's opposition parties, it was approved by the Parliament on 10 April and ratified on 14 August 1973. The Constitution is intended to guide Pakistan's law, its political culture, and system. It identifies the state, people and their fundamental rights, state's constitutional law and orders, and also the constitutional structure and establishment of the institutions and the country's armed forces. The first three chapters establish the rules, mandate, and separate powers of the three branches of the government: a bicameral legislature; an executive branch governed by the Prime Minister as chief executive; and an apex federal judiciary headed by Supreme Court. The Constitution designates the President of Pakistan as a ceremonial Head of State who is to represent the unity of the state. The first six articles of the constitution outline the political system as federal parliamentary republic system; as well as Islam as its state religion. The Constitution also encapsulates provisions stipulating the legal system's compliance with Islamic injunctions contained in the Quran and Sunnah.
Civil liberties in the United States are certain unalienable rights retained by citizens of the United States under the Constitution of the United States, as interpreted and clarified by the Supreme Court of the United States and lower federal courts. Civil liberties are simply defined as individual legal and constitutional protections from entities more powerful than an individual, for example, parts of the government, other individuals, or corporations. The explicitly defined liberties make up the Bill of Rights, including freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to privacy. There are also many liberties of people not defined in the Constitution, as stated in the Ninth Amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of Puerto Rico. It is composed of nine articles detailing the structure of the government as well as the function of several of its institutions. The document also contains an extensive and specific bill of rights. It was ratified by Puerto Rico's electorate in a referendum on March 3, 1952, and on July 25, 1952, Governor Luis Muñoz Marín proclaimed that the constitution was in effect. July 25 is known as Constitution Day.
Same-sex marriage in Ireland has been legal since 16 November 2015. A referendum on 22 May 2015 amended the Constitution of Ireland to provide that marriage is recognised irrespective of the sex of the partners. The measure was signed into law by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, as the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland on 29 August 2015. The Marriage Act 2015, passed by the Oireachtas on 22 October 2015 and signed into law by the Presidential Commission on 29 October 2015, gave legislative effect to the amendment. Same-sex marriages in the Republic of Ireland began being recognised from 16 November 2015, and the first marriage ceremonies of same-sex couples in Ireland occurred the following day.
The age of majority is the threshold of adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the control and legal responsibilities of their parents or guardian over them. Most countries set the age of majority at 18, but some jurisdictions have a higher age and others lower. The word majority here refers to having greater years and being of full age as opposed to minority, the state of being a minor. The law in a given jurisdiction may not actually use the term "age of majority". The term typically refers to a collection of laws bestowing the status of adulthood. Those under the age of majority are referred to as minors and may be legally denied certain privileges or rights.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA. Resolution 2200A (XXI), and came in force from 3 January 1976. It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to the Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories and individuals, including labour rights and the right to health, the right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living. As of July 2020, the Covenant has 171 parties. A further four countries, including the United States, have signed but not ratified the Covenant.
Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at other places.
The right to education has been recognized as a human right in a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a right to free, compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all with the progressive introduction of free secondary education, as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education, ideally by the progressive introduction of free higher education. In 2021, 171 states were parties to the Covenant.
The Fundamental Rights in India enshrined in the Part III of the Constitution of India guarantee civil liberties such that all Indians can lead their lives in peace and harmony as citizens of India.These rights are known as "fundamental" as they are most essential for all-round developement i.e., material,intellectual, moral and spiritual and protected by fundamental law of the land i.e. constitution.
The Directive Principles of State Policy of India are the guidelines to be followed by the government of India for the governance of the country. They are not enforceable by any court, but the principles laid down there in are considered 'Fundamental' in the governance of the country, which makes it the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws to establish a just society in the country. The principles have been inspired by the Directive Principles given in the Constitution of Ireland which are related to socialjustice, economic welfare, foreign policy, and legal and administrative matters.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Pakistan face social difficulties compared to non-LGBT persons. Even in large cities, gays and lesbians have to be highly discreet about their sexual orientation. Pakistani law prescribes criminal penalties for same-sex sexual acts. The Pakistani Penal Code of 1860, originally developed under the British Raj, criminalises sodomy with possible penalties of prison sentences from two years to a life sentence and fines. The Penal Code has other provisions that impact the human rights of LGBT Pakistanis, under the guise of protecting public morality and order. Despite its illegality, homosexual acts are not commonly prosecuted by authorities in Pakistan.
Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Pakistan. Although there have been numerous amendments to the Constitution, there is yet to be a provision prohibiting the death penalty as a punitive remedy.
Homosexuality has been legal in Nepal since 2007. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Nepal are among the most progressive in Asia. The Nepalese Constitution recognizes LGBT rights as fundamental rights.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE) is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted on 4 August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between the age of 6 to 14 years in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010. The title of the RTE Act incorporates the words ‘free and compulsory’. ‘Free education’ means that no child, other than a child who has been admitted by his or her parents to a school which is not supported by the appropriate Government, shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing elementary education. ‘Compulsory education’ casts an obligation on the appropriate Government and local authorities to provide and ensure admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by all children in the 6-14 age group. With this, India has moved forward to a rights based framework that casts a legal obligation on the Central and State Governments to implement this fundamental child right as enshrined in the Article 21A of the Constitution, in accordance with the provisions of the RTE Act.17.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution of India, officially known as The Constitution Act, 1971, curtailed the fundamental right to property, and permitted the acquisition of private property by the government for public use, on the payment of compensation which would be determined by the Parliament and not the courts. The amendment also exempted any law giving effect to the article 39(b) and (c) of Directive Principles of State Policy from judicial review, even if it violated the Fundamental Rights.
The Thirty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Act 2012 amended the Constitution of Ireland by inserting clauses relating to children's rights and the right and duty of the state to take child protection measures. It was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas (parliament) on 10 October 2012, and approved at a referendum on 10 November 2012, by 58% of voters on a turnout of 33.5%. Its enactment was delayed by a High Court case challenging the conduct of the referendum. The High Court's rejection of the challenge was confirmed by the Supreme Court on 24 April 2015. It was signed into law by the President on 28 April 2015.
Secularism in Bangladesh is known as "neutrality of religion" under Bangladeshi law. In the Constitution of Bangladesh, secularism is mentioned in the preamble as one of the fundamental principles of Bangladeshi law. Article 8 enshrines secularism as one of the fundamental principles of state policy. Article 12 elaborates further on secularism and freedom of religion.
The West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education is the state government administered autonomous examining authority for affiliated and recognized madrasahs in West Bengal, India. Perhaps among the oldest post-secondary boards in India, it is the only madrasah board that is recognized by the Government of India.
Nazarat Taleem(Directorate of Education), launched in 1919, is a directorate within the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya, in Pakistan, responsible for the task of formalizing education within schools and colleges of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Pakistan.
The Eighty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of India, provides Right to Education for the age of six to fourteen years and Early childhood care until the age of six. It has inserted Article 21A & replaces Article 45 of Directive principles of State policy and amended Article 51A to add new duty of parents for providing education to his child between the age of six and fourteen years.