How Pakistan’s Education System Holds Back Economic Growth and Democracy

Girls_in_school_in_Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa,_Pakistan_(7295675962)

A recent World Bank report suggests that the country will not meet the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education by 2015. The report ranks Pakistan 113th out of 120 countries in the “Education for All Index.” With seven million out-of-school kids, the challenge is snowballing with each passing year.

Alif Ailaan, a campaign for sending every boy and girl in Pakistan to school, says the country is suffering an “education crisis of unprecedented proportions.” They suggest that:

  • There are 25 million boys and girls out of school—that’s nearly half of all children in the country.
  • Of those children who do go to school, the vast majority receive an education of poor quality.
  • 48 percent of government schools are in a dangerous or dilapidated condition and lack basic facilities such as furniture, bathrooms, boundary walls, electricity and running water.
  • On any given day, 18 percent of teachers are absent from the classroom.
  • Corporal punishment is widespread and remains unchecked.
  • Budget allocations for education are insufficient and funds that are available are not spent effectively.

Earlier this year, UNESCO reported on the state of global primary education. The report raked Pakistan among 21 countries facing an “extensive” learning crisis, according to the report. From enrollment, to dropout rates, to academic performance and literacy, Pakistan scores low in every index.

With the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment in 2010, responsibility for education has been devolved to provincial governments. The report indicates that due to ineffective systems for standardizing the education curriculum and teacher training, the quality of public education remains poor.

“The lack of teachers is not as detrimental as incompetent teachers” – Dr Jaffar Ahmed, Director, Pakistan Study Centre at the University of Karachi

On one hand, there is a shortage of schools, and on the other hand, a study showed that there were over 1,200 “ghost” schools in Pakistan where teachers are drawing salaries but where no educational activity was taking place.

Nearly 50 percent of Pakistan’s population cannot read or write. The ratio for females is abysmally lower, especially in certain parts of Pakistan such as in rural Sindh and Balochistan, where the ratio for female literacy is 23 percent and 16 percent respectively. Pakistan certainly has to declare Education Emergency and increase its spending on increasing literacy across the country.

Successive governments have been talking about increasing budget allocation for education, however, the combined budget allocation for education by all tiers of government in Pakistan is stagnant for the past several years at around 2.4 percent of GDP. As the sixth most populous country in the world with close to 200 million people, if Pakistan needs to reduce illiteracy, governments must give due priority to education and increase budgetary spending for education sector.

Education is the only way to ensure a flourishing democratic system in Pakistan, as only an educated, empowered, and aware citizenry can hold politicians accountable for their promises!

Hammad Siddiqui is Deputy Country Director for CIPE Pakistan.

Published Date: January 07, 2015