Islamabad:
In response to the growing threat of drugs, abuse and lack of child protection mechanisms in educational institutions, a Senate panel on Tuesday requested urgent and coordinated measures to guarantee a safe and drug -free learning environment for children, starting with a pilot initiative in Islamabad.
The Senate’s Functional Committee of Human Rights was chaired by the interim president Senator Irfan-Ul-Haque Siddiqui, in the absence of senator president Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who could not attend for health reasons.
The committee met to deliberate about the growing threats to the rights of children in educational institutions, particularly the alarming increase in the use of narcotics, sexual abuse and the absence of mental health and education based on rights in school curricula.
Senator Irfan-Ul-Haque Siddiqui expressed a great concern for the availability of drugs in educational institutions, especially within the territory of the capital of Islamabad (ICT), emphasizing that immediate measures must be taken.
He also highlighted the lack of cooperation of the provinces in similar initiatives, emphasizing the need to first address the situation within the federal jurisdiction.
He questioned the effectiveness of current conscientious initiatives in schools, noting that the textbooks and existing curricula do not transmit the severity of drug -related dangers.
He urged the inclusion of a dedicated chapter on drug awareness at each level of degree and requested the use of realistic examples to ensure that the message is effectively communicated to students.
In addition, highlighting deficiencies in the training and development of teachers’ curriculum, Senator Siddiqui said: “No curriculum can succeed without capable teachers. Training programs for educators are still weak, and this must be addressed immediately.”
The Committee agreed to establish a committee that recommends that the Ministry of Interiors designate a focal unit for ICT, including representatives of the Ministry of Education, ICT Administration, Islamabad Police, Force above (ANF) and the Human Rights Division.
The unit will supervise the area implementation, will develop standard operational procedures (SOP) for educational institutions and create a reporting mechanism to track drug -related activities.
Senator Siddiqui emphasized the need for a pilot model in Islamabad that could serve as a framework for other regions.
“We must create a model to follow in Islamabad and rationalize the process. This problem cannot be solved during the night, but a structured and directed approach will take us in the right direction,” he said.
