Education in Pakistan and it's devastating roots
According to a report published by UNESCO in 2014, around 5.5 million children were out of school in Pakistan, which makes it a country with the second highest population of children out of school after Nigeria. While 11% of the population has a command over English, the literacy rate is a miserable 58 %, falling short of the MDGs goal which was 88% for Pakistan by 2015.
Education is one of the most underdeveloped systems in Pakistan. This is apparent from the way in which the Government designs its budget. A mere 2.1 % of the government fund has been allocated towards education. Ghost schools in Pakistan have to deal with a large number of students attending classes, often under dangerous conditions. Such schools lack electricity, clean water, sanitation and bathroom facilities. 18 % of teachers are absent from schools, thus questioning the accountability and credibility of these schools in terms of the quality of education imparted to students.
The education system at the secondary level comprises of the Madrassa Schools, the Private Education System and the Government Education System respectively. The Madrassa Education System originated in the Zia period and grew dramatically during and after the reign of Zia ul Haq. A report states that more than 35,000 Madrassas are operating in Pakistan, dominated by the Deobandi system, with 64 % and the Braveli System with 25%. The Madrassa Education System is divided into five boards. Most Madrassas teach Islamic Subjects as “Tafseer”, “Hadith”, Islamic laws and Arabic language. This system is very popular among the poorer sections with the hope of “Janat and Falah”.
The Private Education System includes schools for the elite and the lower-middle classes, focusing more on profit making rather than on delivering quality education.
There are 109 government chartered universities, providing education in different cities-25 Federal universities, 26 universities in Punjab, only 7 in South Punjab, 20 universities in Sind, 19 in KPK and 7 and 5 in Baluchistan and Jammu & Kashmir respectively. While Punjab has a commendable education system and maximum enrolments, Sindh is far behind in terms of enrolment and quality of education.
It is the right of every citizen to have the opportunity to seek education.
Under the Constitution of Pakistan, Article 25-A; “it is the responsibility of the state to provide free, compulsory education to every child between the ages of 5 and 16.” A country like Pakistan cannot grow unless it's overall education ratio improves. The Government needs to take serious note of the situation and bring about some effective amendments in order to accelerate development.
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