Dear writers,

Your research is valid, but imposing more taxes will severely harm the middle class as majority earns less than Rs 15000 per month.

Also, resources, data and key donors are available. What is needed is governments willingness and eradication of feudal system.

The very well argued country paper “Financing Education in Pakistan – Opportunities for Action” by Malik and Rose 2015, released ahead of the Oslo Education Summit and their blog for GPE makes a strong case through ‘five opportunities’ for action”; for enhanced financing, more proactive tax reforms on the one hand and equitable financing of education with critical capacity and results based oversight within Pakistan to produce the much deserved dividends. As the world settles down to the bitter reality of downsized ODA trends whereby the developed countries may not live up to the target of 1% GNP or even 0.7 % of GNP as ODA in spite of the Incheon Declaration –Education 2030 urging countries to live up to their commitments for countries most in need . Whilst we are optimistic about the Oslo,Summit as a prelude to the Addis Ababa Financing Conference for SDGs and the UN Special Summit in New York in July and September this year respectively, there is every reason to explore innovative financing options through a mixed approach. This approach will take into account due consideration the much touted formula of value for money (vfm) for all those who will invest in education , be it governments, development partners, industry , banks philanthropy , community financing etc.
Three suggestions may be added to the current thinking particularly for Pakistan spurred by the Prime Minister of Pakistan's recent oped for the Oslo Summit terming 'education as a policy imperative', and, if applicable to other countries too
1. The Pak China Economic Corridor (PCEC) must have a mirror Pak China Education Corridor (PCEdC) that ensures full integration of infrastructure development, economic growth with education. This mega initiative will help us develop an education/human resource cluster alongside the industrial/trade/service clusters across 3000 kilometers pathway. This integration and alignment will support human resource needs for the next 50 or 100 years through formal education/industry partnerships. Sir it is imperative that a multi-sectoral task force is formed under your able chairmanship steering your key team leaders, industry captains, experts, local parliamentarians, youth and citizens to design the architecture of this synergy and details of this initiative. This is no doubt, a winwin program where the government of China, national and provincial governments and people will join hands with industry. This initiative mobilizing foreign and domestic financing will be a huge additionality for education that must be provided due space in the upcoming new National Education Policy in the financing, basic and higher education chapters.

2. Mobilizing Innovative domestic financing for education from:
a) Extractive industries concessions to be negotiated through transparent agreements that support social sector development from natural resources. Pakistan must become a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency International (EITI) for governance/accountability which must be equally applicable to in country actors (govt and private sector), and also foreign companies alike to ensure that resources and host country are protected. Foreign companies must not seek recourse to international arbitration instruments to the detriment of the host countries and its citizens. (case of Reko Diq Gold and Copper Mines-Govt. of Pakistan and TTC). Currently with many opportunities including salvaging Reko Diq (estimated at US $500 billion to 1 trillion dollars) and the recently discovered gold and copper reserves in Chiniot district Punjab, it is imperative that the Govt of Pakistan Pakistan creates SOPs and upholds global commitment to making a resource curse into a blessing for education transformation.; we must mobilize domestic financing for education transparently.

b) Special Education Cess for the next 3 years that is acceptable to all citizens and parties and expended transparently through multi-stakeholders governance body and a fully embraced right to information regime at all time s and

3. Financing of Education in Emergencies for our most vulnerable groups through mainstream budgets and planning. Whilst the PM has argued for zero tolerance for extremism, these remain troubled times with millions affected and displaced, support must be enhanced through external financing beyond the current 1% of ODA and more mainstreamed domestic financing. It is important to recognize that Emergencies have sadly become a mainstream phenomenon due to their frequency and complexity, however, their planning and budgets remain atypical and unplanned. Schools continue to provide the first shelter for the affected and also healing through learning. It is time to recognize and support education in emergencies comprehensively. Let the global leaders at the Oslo Summit act now and commit to Education in Emergencies within the comprehensive framework of Right to Education, embracing all targets of SDG 4 .Pakistan can raise the bar by mainstreaming annual budgets for emergencies including physical rehabilitation, temporary teachers, training and learning materials.

Baela Raza Jamil -a Concerned Citizen Activist ITA -ASER Pakistan - Vice Chair Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report- Member Advisory Board Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Ed) and Learning Outcomes Advisory Board- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

I would like to appreciate your effort and suggestions to increase financing for education and effective utilization specially pro-poor spending proposal. As far as tax collection is concerned, no one can argue that tax reform is much needed not for education but in general as well, considering the debt burden our country is going under and then resultant debt servicing. But point here is that what main thing is missing concerning education is political will and accountability. If history is a good teacher, back in 1985-86 Iqra tax was imposed @ 5% on imports but the resultant increased fund were never used for education but somewhere else. In the same piece where Prime Minister termed education as policy imperative he also reaffirm commitment to raise education funding to 4% by 2018 (National Education Policy 2009 set the target of 7% by 2015) but in the absence of serious political will it is not possible as the Prime Minister wrote these words after we failed to fulfill our commitment to MDGs. Needless to say that we can spare resource for mega and luxury projects like metros it can be spared for education as well.