TIMES REPORT
PESHAWAR: A Call was made for the efficient spending, transparent utilisation, and effective monitoring of financial resources allocated for education in the FY 2026–27 budget during the School We Want Symposium, jointly organised by Blue Veins and Rise & Shine Girls Education Leadership Network with the support of Malala Fund.
The symposium was one of its kind, bringing together young girl leaders, education officials, Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs), teachers, and parents on one platform. Girl champions engaged in a collaborative exercise to envision ideal schools through creative drawings, visuals, and art work. Participants illustrated schools equipped with functional libraries, science laboratories, and toilets, dignified menstruation support, playgrounds, clean drinking water, adequate classroom furniture, AI-integrated learning, and mechanisms to prevent and respond to cases of harassment within educational institutions.
They later engaged in an interactive dialogue with the stakeholders to present their model schools and suggested priority actions for strengthening the education system, particularly for girls.
Members of the Provincial Assembly, Shazia Jadoon, Farzana Shireen and Shazia Waheed, present at the event, commended the girls leadership in bringing attention towards the challenges affecting girls access to quality education. They committed to raising the issues on the Assembly floor through parliamentary tools and legislative oversight mechanisms.
Shazia Jadoon, MPA and member of Standing Committee on Education, stated, “Education is a constitutional right, and every girl deserves equal opportunity to learn, thrive, and reach her full potential”.
Speaking on the occasion, Sidra Nazir, Assistant Director Planning & Development, Elementary and Secondary Education, noted, “Education Department remains committed to ensuring equitable and quality education to all the children, especially girls through various initiatives”. The priorities identified during this dialogue will be relayed to the relevant education officials to ensure that the allocated education resources translate into tangible improvements in girls schools.”
Yumna Aftab, girls education activist and Program Officer at Blue Veins, emphasized the importance of institutionalising regular engagement between girl students, parents, communities, and policymakers. “Sustainable education reforms can only be achieved when the voices of those directly affected are heard and reflected in planning, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring processes. Participatory decision-making leads to more responsive and effective education policies,” she added.
Maham Nafees, member of the Rise and Shine Girls Education Leadership Network said, “A conducive learning environment is essential to prevent girls from dropping out of school and improve their educational outcomes. When schools are responsive to girls’ needs, they enable girls to complete their education and secure a brighter future for themselves”.
The symposium reinforced the importance of collaboration in building an equitable and inclusive education system. By creating a platform where young girls could directly share their experiences and aspirations with decision-makers, it demonstrated that meaningful education reforms are only possible through inclusive dialogue, shared accountability, and collective action across all stakeholders.
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