To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the case of a Christian school boy in Pakistan who was excluded from class and beaten for being accused of tainting the school’s water by touching the tap; and whether they will establish whether UK aid is used to support schools such as this.
Answered on
5 November 2018
The Government of Punjab has taken swift action and the head teacher of the school concerned has been suspended pending a full investigation. The Pakistan Human Rights Minister and civil society have publicly supported this timely action. UK aid is not directed to individual schools in Punjab. In partnership with provincial governments DFID has supported over nine million children in primary and over five million in secondary schools to gain an education in Pakistan.