State of Educational Rights of Inmate Dependent Children: A Case Study of Prisons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Children, who are retained by imprisoned women (mothers), face several issues, including deprivation of their right to education. Imprisonment of women with dependent children often results in the impingement of child rights, including their right to education under Article 25(A) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. The retention of children above the age of six by imprisoned women under Pakistan Prison Rules 1978 is a violation of Article 25(A) of the constitution. The current paper analyzes the educational facilities available to the dependent children of female prisoners with reference to international standards and statutory laws. The paper adopts qualitative research design and interviews-based data obtained from women prisoners and jail authorities has been used. The study concludes that there is lack of proper mechanisms and facilities for safeguarding the educational rights of dependent children in prisons. The study has substantial implications for political, educational and administrative leadership in the Pakistani context and for leadership with similar contexts elsewhere.