Poor quality of education

Whilst millions of children in this country remain out of school, no less worrying is the quality of education offered to those who get to attend school. The annual Status of Education Report, launched by a reputable NGO in Islamabad recently, makes deeply disturbing reading. According to the report based on a survey of 155 rural districts, 41 percent of the students in grade five could not read a second grade level story in Urdu, Sindhi or Pashto, and 84 percent of those in grade three could not read a second grade level sentence. Unsurprisingly, the learning outcomes are just as shocking in math. Fifth graders could not do two-digit divisions. Considering that about 60 percent of the population lives in rural areas, these findings foretell nearly half of the school-going age children's inability to realize their full potential, which can be detrimental to the country's developmental endeavour.

The report also notes that 39 percent of all primary schools lack usable water facilities; 41 percent do not have toilets. In fact, most of the rural schools function without electricity or boundary walls. Nonetheless, although missing facilities are often blamed for high student and teacher absenteeism, attendance of teachers was 89 percent on the day of the survey, which is not bad. So what accounts for such dismal student performance? The report offers a clue where it says multi-grade classrooms highlight teacher shortages. In other words, one teacher simultaneously imparts lessons to a large number of students at different levels of education and reading different subjects. As per accepted standards, an average class size should not comprise more than 30 students. In the prevailing circumstances, it is humanly impossible for a teacher to give individual attention to pupils and check their assignments. No wonder the learning outcomes are so poor. Education departments in the provinces need to take serious notice of the situation and induct teachers commensurate with the number of those to be taught.

Not all the news is negative, though. Conditions in urban areas seem to have improved in terms of enrollment. In 2019, the report points out, 17 percent of children were out of school, like in the previous year; but a survey of 20 urban centres across Pakistan now shows the percentage has come down to just six percent. Universal access to education needs to be further enhanced and emergency measures undertaken to ensure its quality, with a focus on rural areas. The government owes that to the children of this country as a right rather than a privilege as stipulated by the Constitution. Pakistan also has a commitment to meet under the UN Sustainable Development Goals that call for improving the lives of the people by 2030 by, among other things, providing quality education to all. It is about time all concerned got their act together to do the needful.