ISLAMABAD: Though lack of formal education remains a grave concern in the country and almost 22.6 million children continue to be out of schools, the government has yet to take any remedial measures to fix the problem.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to improve the situation until education is made a key priority in the basket of demands articulated by the citizens during election cycles. Enrollment used as the measure for progress indicates that Pakistan has the second-largest population of out-of-school children in the world.
Though the number of out-of-school children has reduced from last year’s figure of 24 million to 22.6 million as revealed in the Pakistan Education Statistic 2015-16 launched by National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) – a subsidiary of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, we are far from solving the problem.
Alif Ailaan Campaign Director Mosharraf Zaidi, while talking to Pakistan Today, said that the situation could not change for good unless the community presented the issue at the local level and the parents pressurized the administration and politicians into answering their questions and meeting their demands. He said that the issue should be raised at the micro level by citizens before their elected representatives and at macro level through media coverage in order to develop considerable pressure because only then politicians and bureaucrats will respond to it.
Mosharraf questioned, “If the government could bring improvement in selected public schools why could the situation not be improved in the rest of the schools?”
All things cannot be corrected immediately, as resources, political will and qualified people are needed. Nonetheless, it is eventually the state’s responsibility to produce and provide all such requirements.
He said that around 4500 teachers are in dire need in FATA but the finance department has refused to release money for their salaries pleading shortage of funds, even though funds are always available for purchasing bulletproof vehicles and constructing roads.
Speaking about the out of school children, he said that parents did not keep their children out of schools willingly but because unfavourable circumstances compelled them to, adding that if he were in Waziristan, he wouldn’t admit my daughter in a school damaged by militants either, despite being an education campaigner.
Zaidi concluded that it is lack of facilities and not the mindset which leads to parents not sending their children, especially daughters to school. He said that the government should ensure transportation and construction of schools in the vicinity because it is difficult for parents to send their children to schools located at a distance of more than eight miles.
Faisal Bari, an education expert and senior columnist, said that it is beyond comprehension as to why education is not a key demand of the citizens, as politicians only respond to public demands.
Bari expounded that three factors are mainly responsible for the abysmal state of education in the country. Firstly, the mushroom growth of private sector because of which government schools are no longer a priority of elites and middle class. And the people whose children are studying in government schools are so alienated and politically so disconnected that their demands are not presented before the politicians.
Secondly, he said that parents rarely understand the concept quality education so it is difficult for them to convince politicians.
Thirdly, Bari said that the citizens are more concerned with immediate outcomes, such as the construction of roads, transportation etc. which is why their demands are fairly limited and hence education is not a priority.
However, he is of the view that change always comes from the upper class and hence believes that those in power should have the realization that if they failed to make education a priority, they would not be able to compete with the world on any front.
“Since Pakistan is being considered as a security state, massive funds are spent on defence. Apart from that, the upper middle class have separated their schools and have established private schools for their children. Furthermore, most of them have dual citizenship which gives them the option to educate their children abroad. Hence, the substandard education atmosphere in Pakistan has no effect on them,” he added.
On the subject of out of school children, Faisal said that although considerable improvement has been seen at the primary level, the middle and high schools are still problematic due to the shortage of public and private schools as well as a lack of specialized teachers resulting in parents being hesitant in sending their children, especially daughters to a middle or high school located miles away.
He suggested that the government needed to build more schools, provide secure transport facilities, improve quality of education and create employment opportunities so that the people have the incentive of getting education.
President Punjab Teachers Union District Rawalpindi Shahid Mubarak said that the government needed to change its policies to ensure adequate enrollment in the schools.
Parliamentary Secretary for Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) Maiza Hameed while speaking to Pakistan Today said that Prime Minister Education Reform ensures that all 422 Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) schools will be provided with the best facilities and currently Phase II and up gradation work in 200 of them is under process.
She said that resources would be utilised to provide upgraded educational and health facilities to the children which include school enrollment targets, provision of missing facilities, setting up of new educational institutions, teachers training and computerised systems which will monitor all educational institutions.
The reforms aim to facilitate students especially girls from rural areas by providing them with a safe transportation facility. Almost 70 school buses have been handed over to the schools for this purpose. Apart from that, Montessori sections have also been established in 66 schools with the help of private schools and NGOs in which 1,460 students have been enrolled.
