Released on the eve of the International Literacy Day by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, "The State of Pakistan's Children Report, 2011" shows how Pakistan lags far behind on its own commitments to achieve Education for All under the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Almost 25 million children, it says, are currently out of schools, giving this county the unsavoury distinction of having the world's second highest rate of out-of-school children. And the trends, according to the report, show that the number of uneducated youth is growing with no substantial effort to increase the number of, and access to, technical and vocational institutes to address gender disparities.
The reason is not only the much lamented fact that the defence sector grabs the Lion's share from the national resources, leaving minuscule budgetary allocations for the vital health and education sectors. Bad governance and a general apathy towards public education make a significant contribution to the problem. The present report reveals that as many as 30,000 schools exist on paper only, receiving government funds for ghost teachers and other running expenses. The ones that are present on the ground inspire little interest among pupils and parents. There is a linkage between the presence of basic infrastructure facilities and enrolment. The net enrolment ratio, says the report, is the highest in Punjab at 61 percent, followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan with 53 percent, 51 percent, and 47 percent respectively.
The low rate in KP and Balochistan is regrettable, but in part is attributable to the ongoing militancy in those provinces. In fact, the report notes that around 600,000 children in KP missed one or more years of education because the militants destroyed or damaged hundreds of schools in different parts of the province. Then there is the problem of basic infrastructure and amenities. Countrywide, only 65 percent schools have drinking water facilities, 62 percent latrine, 61 percent a boundary wall and only 39 percent have electricity, which means children have to suffer extreme summer heat without fans; and in 35 percent situations they have to endure thirst. Conditions are worst in Sindh where 35 percent schools are without a building and in many cases, without a boundary wall. Of course, there are no drinking water and latrine facilities in those schools, which must encourage absenteeism in both student and teacher.
None of these details may be surprising but they surely are a reminder that education in this country has fallen by the wayside, hindering its social progress and economic prosperity. Education, it hardly needs saying, opens up limitless vistas of knowledge. Among other civilising influences, it promotes tolerance -something this society needs in abundance. And, of course, learning is the key to development both in the lives of individuals and nations. Education is regarded as a primary governmental responsibility by even the most advanced nations. They constantly worry about maintaining the highest standards of education in order to encourage quality production and stimulate innovation. Sadly, in the case of Pakistan more than half of the population lacks functional literacy, which means a huge part of the national talent pool remains unutilised. It might contain scientists of the caliber of Nobel Prize laureate Professor Abdus Salam, or outstanding mathematicians, engineers and innovators who have no chance of realisation of their potential. The present report may not have revealed anything new, but it must serve as a reminder of a lot that needs to be done to fix school education.