Lack of literacy in Pakistan

The importance of education in the process of nation building and economic prosperity cannot be denied. Education is the key to prosperity in a country. In Pakistan, it is overseen by the government through its ministry of education. The educational system of Pakistan is among the least-developed in the world. The government of Pakistan spends a very small amount of its GDP on education.

In 2006-07 only 2.5 percent was spend, 2.47 percent in 2007-08, 2.1 percent in 2008-09, and 2 percent in 2009-10. During the past 37 years, the highest expenditure on education was 2.80 percent of GDP in 1987-88. In short, Pakistan’s expenditure on education is not enough to meet the growing demand for educational services for the nation’s increasing young population.

The low literacy level in Pakistan is mainly because of poor infrastructure. About 37.7 percent of schools up to elementary level do not have boundary walls, 33.9 percent lack drinking water, 37 percent don’t have washrooms and 60 percent are without electricity.

The major problem is the lack of political stability in our country. The political uncertainty has meant that the education sector has never been governed by a consistent policy and its developmen process has been interrupted time and again. The system needs massive investment to increase the number of educational institutions and to train and recruit adequate numbers of educators at all levels. The Pakistani government has limited financial resources which are inadequate to meet all of its needs. There is a need to improve education system with a good proportion of investment from the GDP that can meet the demand of the next generations.

HINA MEHDI

Karachi