Blue Veins, Rise & Shine Girls Education Leadership Network Welcomes Vetting Of Implementation Rules For Free & Compulsory

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2025) Blue Veins and the Rise & Shine Girls Education Leadership Network welcome the long-awaited vetting of the Implementation Rules of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Free and Compulsory Education Act 2017 by the Law Department.

This milestone marks a crucial step for fulfilling Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees the right to free and compulsory education for all children aged 5–16 years.

The vetting has come after a long delay, during which education champions repeatedly urged the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to establish a clear framework to operationalize the act.

Currently, there are 4.9 million out-of-school children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of which 2.9 million are girls.

The effective implementation of these rules has the potential to be a game-changer in reducing the number of out-of-school children, especially girls, by ensuring access, equity, and quality in education.

Blue Veins and Rise & Shine Girls Education Leadership Network appreciate the efforts of chairman of the Standing Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for its active interest and persistent follow-up on this matter.

Special thanks are also extended to Minister for Elementary Education Faisal Khan Taraki, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and the secretary of education for their leadership and commitment in advancing this long-standing demand of education champions.

Qamar Naseem, civil society activist and Malala Fund Education Champion, stated: “The vetting of the implementation rules is not only a legal formality; it is also a commitment to our children’s future. We now need urgent and consistent implementation so that no child, especially girl, is left behind.”

Yumna Aftab, youth activist, remarked: “As a young advocate for education, I see this as a historic moment. History will remember it as a success only if it translates into classrooms filled with children who previously had no access to education.”

Maham Nafees, Convenor of the Rise & Shine Girls Education Leadership Network, added: “For far too long, girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been deprived of their basic right to education. These rules provide a framework that can help bridge the gender gap and ensure every girl can attend school without barriers.”

Blue Veins and the Rise & Shine Girls Education Leadership Network call upon the provincial government to ensure effective monitoring, budgetary allocations, and accountability mechanisms for the full realization of Article 25-A.

The vetting of these rules is not just a legal step but a moral imperative to secure the future of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa children.