ISLAMABAD (APP) - Senate Standing Committee on Education Monday emphasised on formulating a law at federal level to implement the decision of ensuring citizen access to free and compulsory education under Article 25-A (18th Amendment). The committee directed the provinces to formulate laws according to the conditions and requirements of their own areas. Inter-provincial coordination to bring uniform curricula is the first step while heading towards accomplishment of this fundamental goal, the committee observed. Chairman of the committee, Senator S.M Zafar constituted a three-member committee under the chairmanship of Senator Saeeda Iqbal and directed it to engage the provinces in the enactment of this free education law. Showing concern over spending 2.05 per cent of GDP on education, the committee recommended to get fund from Baitul Mal or USAID if required. Before the law, the citizens were responsible to get education, but now the burden has been shifted and it is the responsibility of state to provide them access to education. 'Protection of Child Right Act, which is in place in the world, should be implemented by the government so that the children can have access to their basic rights. The chairman directed the representatives of the provinces to revisit the curricula of their provinces. The members also called for introducing incentives for school going children particularly girls and in the areas where education is a taboo. Fine should be imposed on the parents who do not send their children to schools. The committee members observed that the challenges caused by shortage of resources would make it difficult to achieve the UN target of Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The country has to overcome formidable hurdles to reach 86 per cent literacy rate by 2015 in line with the education policy. Representative UNESCO, Arshad Saeed, quoting EFA Global Monitoring Report 2010 of UNESCO, said Pakistan is among a group of 29 countries which is not likely to achieve target of EFA and MDGs by 2015. According to Global Monitoring Report of UNESCO, as percentage of GDP, Pakistan spent 2.8 per cent public expenditure on education whereas it was 3.3 per cent in India, 5.6 per cent in Iran, 5.4 per cent in Sri Lanka, 8.3 per cent in Maldives, 3.8 per cent in Nepal and 2.4 per cent in Bangladesh. The committee also condemned the incidents of target killing in Balochistan and termed these as impediments in promotion of educational activities. The representatives from Balochistan revealed that the province is lagging behind in education sectors as there is no trend of education in most of its area. A large number of primary schools should be established in the province so that the children can at least get basic education. We want to get rid of the word backward which is used for the people of this province. The representatives from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa said that still there are places where children are not allowed to get education and forced to work by their parents, due to extreme poverty. Senators Suriya Amiruddin, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Rehana Yayha Baloch, Nilofar Bukhtiar were among the participants of the meeting.