Jaipur: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while declaring an education emergency in the country, vowed to get around 26 million out-of-school children enrolled, reported The Dawn, on Wednesday . He said that he would promote literacy so that the country could regain its lost space and transform into one of the most educated societies in the world. He said this while addressing the National Conference on Education Emergency recently.
According to a UNICEF report, Pakistan is facing a serious challenge to ensure all children, especially the most disadvantaged, attend, stay and learn in school. An estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are out of school.
As per the UNICEF report, currently, Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC). Over 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are not attending school which represents 44 per cent of the total population in this age group in the country. While in the 5-9 age group, 5 million children are not enrolled in schools at all. The sorry state of education in Pakistan can be gauged from the fact that after primary school age, the number of OOSC doubles, with 11.4 million adolescents between the ages of 10-14 not receiving formal education.
Pakistan, which is facing innumerable adversities like political instability, economic unrest and increasing terrorism, is now facing the serious challenge of poor education standards.
The contemporary scenario of Pakistan is beset with a host of challenges including poverty, insecurity, sectarianism and terrorism, all due to lack of tolerance, public awareness and widespread illiteracy due to an ineffective education system. Sadly, the vital role of education has long been neglected in Pakistan, which is evident from the meagre budget allocated to the sector right from the beginning. This neglect has weakened the educational quality, thereby stunting the country’s economic, political and social progress despite several educational policies adopted over the years. The challenges plaguing Pakistan’s education system are multifaceted, ranging from inadequate budget allocation and policy implementation lapses to flawed examination systems, inadequate physical facilities and poor teacher quality.
Additionally, the Pakistan Education Statistics 2021-22 released a few months ago shows the country lacking in lack of funds for education, poor pupil-teacher ratio, missing basic facilities as well as 26 million out-of-school children in the country. The report on the performance of the education sector released by the Pakistan Institute of Education – a subsidiary of the education ministry – has revealed a harrowing state of affairs in the sector, particularly the disparity in the availability of essential facilities – such as toilets, potable water, boundary walls – in different regions of the country.
According to UNICEF representative in Pakistan, Abdullah A Fadil, “over 70 per cent of children aged 10 in Pakistan could not read or understand text. Despite constitutional guarantees, education in Pakistan was neither yet compulsory nor free.”
It is worth mentioning here that in a global survey that takes into account the opinions of university students, academic professionals, teachers, professors, business executives, and education policy experts conducted from January to March 2024 for the 2024 rankings, the United Kingdom has the most well-developed education system in the world. The second country on the list is the United States followed by Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. France is ranked sixth, Denmark seventh, Canada eighth, Germany ninth, and Switzerland tenth. Japan, Israel, Finland, Taiwan, and Singapore hold the 11th to 15th positions respectively, CEO WORLD reported. India stood at the 33rd position while Pakistan got the 83rd ranking.
Additionally, the annual Best Countries Report, conducted by US News and World Report, BAV Group, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed thousands of people across 78 countries and then ranked those based on the survey’s responses. As of 2023, the top five countries based on education rankings are The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and France.
According to the Global Partnership for Education, education is considered to be a human right and plays a crucial role in human, social, and economic development. Education promotes gender equality, fosters peace, and increases a person’s chances of having more and better life and career opportunities.
Explained: Why Pakistan is declaring an education emergency in the country
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09.05.2024
Jaipur: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while declaring an education emergency in the country, vowed to get around 26 million out-of-school children enrolled, reported The Dawn, on Wednesday . He said that he would promote literacy so that the country could regain its lost space and transform into one of the most educated societies in the world. He said this while addressing the National Conference on Education Emergency recently.
According to a UNICEF report, Pakistan is facing a serious challenge to ensure all children, especially the most disadvantaged, attend, stay and learn in school. An estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are out of school.
As per the UNICEF report, currently, Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC). Over 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are not attending school which represents 44 per cent of the total population in this age group in the country. While in the 5-9 age group, 5 million children are not enrolled in schools at all. The sorry state of education in Pakistan can be gauged from the fact that after primary school age, the........
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