Perspective - Page 34

Insights From the 2023 Census Report

The 2023 Census conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released its complete report in July 2024 indicates that the total population of Pakistan is 240 million out of which the population of children under 18 is 112 Million (47% of the total population). Children Population (under 18) Population under 18 Total Male Female Transgender Pakistan 112,472,700 58,099,978 54,370,121 2,601…

Permitted age for employment of children as domestic workers

Do you know what the minimum age is for children in the different provinces of Pakistan to be employed as domestic workers? Child labour is a provincial subject in Pakistan after the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010. The 18th Constitutional Amendment devolved the issue of labour and employment to the…

Juvenile Offenders in Punjab

The total number of convicted and undertrial juveniles imprisoned in various borstal…

Transport For Schooling

A JUDGE at the Lahore High Court recently ordered that schools should arrange for…

How To Fix The Textbook Problem

The extension of school vacations by a fortnight in Sindh – until August 14 – has triggered speculations about the actual reason behind the decision, beyond just the ongoing spell of hot weather. The media has pointed out the delay in the publication of textbooks as the prime factor behind…

LHC Sets Rules For Juvenile Safety

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Ali Zia Bajwa has directed the government to establish observation homes to provide safe shelter for juveniles in every district. Instructing the government to ensure prompt implementation of the Juvenile Act in a judgment, Justice Bajwa issued eight directives, observing that the physical separation…

The Unfortunate Trend Of Child Marriage

Child Marriage, one of the unfortunate and rampant trends, takes place in several parts of the country despite being prohibited under the relevant laws. Child marriage is a serious violation of children’s rights, something that ensures gender inequality. Young girls, in particular, are denied to enjoy their rights to education…

Nature-Based Education

Disconnection from nature is a catalyst for the present environmental crisis and several physical, mental, and emotional illnesses. With mental health challenges on the rise in the US and climate change on the brink of becoming irreversible, there is an urgent need for educators who can help restore our sense…

PHC Education And Training

LET me first clarify that while the title of this article might give the impression that we are educating and training our medical students about quality Primary Health Care (qPHC), we are not. Recently though, some important policy developments have taken place, which are paving the way for sustainable education…

Missing Priya Kumari

The disturbing case of missing seven-year-old Priya Kumari has sparked a wave of concern and action from her parents and civil society, who have reiterated their demands for transparency and urgency in the investigation. During a protest sit-in at Teen Talwar in Karachi last week, they called on the Joint…

Education Emergency — Bureaucracy Walking The Talk

Pakistan is in the spotlight for having the largest number of out-of-school children (26 million) and millions not learning the basics (ASER 2010-2023). Deficits in access and quality morph into an equity gap with gender and generational impacts. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, within nine weeks of stepping into office,…

Med to Math: PEC’s Misguided Curveball

A few days ago, some newspapers carried a news item that has not created a lot of waves yet. In its 49th meeting, the Governing Body of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the national regulator for engineering programmes, decided to allow pre-medical students to be considered for admission to engineering…

Child Marriage Plagues Minor Girls

The rocky years of adolescence are rarely a smooth sail for budding adults, with sudden physical, emotional, and psychological changes taking a huge toll on their overall wellbeing. While an awkward pimple or emotional breakdown might exhaust an average teenager coping with the upsetting effects of puberty, for minor girls…

A Silent Epidemic: Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Thirteen-year-old Asim* was quieter than usual when he returned to his home in Jhelum from a motorcycle mechanic’s workshop after completing his first day as a chotu – a term widely used for apprentices. His father, a rickshaw driver, noticed but casually asked about his day at his new workplace…