Islamabad:
In response to the growing threat of drugs, abuses and the lack of child protection mechanisms in educational establishments, a Senate panel called on Tuesday to urgent and coordinated measures to ensure a safe and drug -free learning environment for children, starting with a pilot initiative in Islamabad.
The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights was chaired by the acting president, Senator Irfan-Uul-Haque Siddiqui, in the absence of the president of President Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who could not attend for health reasons.
The Committee met to deliberate the growing threats of children’s rights in educational establishments, in particular the alarming increase in the use of narcotics, sexual abuses and the lack of mental health and education based on school programs.
Senator IRFAN-UL-HAQUE Siddiqui has expressed serious concerns concerning the availability of drugs in educational establishments, in particular in the territory of capital of Islamabad (ICT), stressing that immediate measures must be taken.
He also underlined the lack of cooperation of the provinces in similar initiatives, emphasizing the need to deal with the situation first in the federal jurisdiction.
He questioned the effectiveness of current awareness initiatives in schools, noting that existing textbooks and programs fail to transmit the seriousness of drug -related dangers.
He urged the inclusion of a dedicated chapter on awareness of drugs at each level and called for the use of realistic examples to ensure that the message is actually communicated to students.
In addition, highlighting gaps in teacher training and programs development, Siddiqui Senator said: “No program can succeed without capable teachers. Training programs for educators remain low, and this must be treated immediately.”
The Committee has agreed to establish a committee recommending that the Ministry of the Interior designates a focal unit for ICT, including representatives of the Ministry of Education, the ICT administration, the Islamabad police, the anti-narcotic force (ANF) and the human rights division.
The unit will oversee the implementation in the area, will develop standard operational procedures (SOPS) for educational institutions and will create a report mechanism to follow the activities related to drugs.
The Siddiqui senator underlined the need for a pilot model in Islamabad which could serve as a framework of other regions.
“We must create a model initiative in Islamabad and rationalize the process. This problem cannot be resolved overnight, but a structured and targeted approach will take us in the right direction,” he said.
