Policy Issue

Education is most significant investment a country can make in its people and future. Education is
important for social, political and economic development of the any nation. it is not about getting
the degree, but it is about facing challenges and stand on your own feet. Education accelerates the
national development process and standard of living in any states can be judged on the basis of
level of education citizens are able to attain. Education reduces poverty, boost economic growth
and increase income. For governments, it is necessary that their first budget allocation should be
towards the education. As Nelson Mandela has said;

“Education is the most powerful weapon that one can used to change the world”

Despite stated education as the vital human right in Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
UN convention on the rights of Child, Pakistan is considered to be having the highest share among
South Asian States for Out of School Children abbreviated as OOSC at primary level. As per
International law, every boy or girl should have right to quality education, so that they have more
chances to life including employment opportunities, better health and also to participate in political
and social life. For the past decade, Pakistan’s progress in the education is extremely inadequate
and facing challenges for providing quality and uniform education at all levels. Not only this
Pakistan is performing below then its neighboring South Asian states (India, Nepal and Srilanka0
and as well as from countries having same per capita income (Ghana and Burundi). Along with
this Pakistan education expenditure is even lower than Nepal and Maldives.

In National Education Framework 2018, issued by current government under the Ministry of
Federal Education and Professional Training headed by Mr. Shafqat Mehmood. This National
Education framework highlighted the four important goals; reduction in OOSC, emphasis on
skilled based or technical higher education, uniform and quality education for economic and Social
development. As per article 25-A of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, Federal Government is
responsible for providing compulsory and free education to the students from age five to sixteen,
but still this seems to be far from reality. As Pakistan Education Statistics of 2016/2017, the total
22.5 children are out of school, boys are more than girls. The net enrollment rates at primary level
are static for the past years. An average NER in Pakistan at primary level is 57% and this is affected
on the basis of gender as more girls are in OOSC statistics, location and economic condition of
area. Let’s have a look at the statistics of OOSC as per geography, rural areas share of OOSC are
highest than urban one. Not only at Primary level, issue of OOSC is highest at Middle level, one
reason behind it was the less middle schools (49,000) as compare to primary schools (150,571).
Number of middle schools are not even half to primary schools in the country. On the average for
every six primary schools, there is one middle school.

Now moving towards the reasons behind highest share of OOSC by Pakistan in South Asia. One
of the major reasons was due to location of schools, In Punjab specially, 28% of towns and villages
are located almost 2km away from the government’s schools. Other reason includes low education
quality, school facilities, and teacher absence. Girls are considered to more disadvantaged, as 2
million more girls are out of schools as compare to boys, this ratio goes higher even at middle
level. When the Parents of these girls where interviewed, the most of them answered for the
rationale behind not sending their daughters to schools is, they can assist their mothers in house
chores. Another most common reason behind 22.5 OOSC record in South Asia, is non-availability
of school facilities, include the toilets and drinking water as major missing in most of the schools.
Let’s have a look toward the government’s approach towards this OOSC issue in Pakistan;

There policy include infrastructure development like providing school facilities and building new
schools, use of online web-portals and offline content for solutions and opinions, removing
financial barriers, introduction of non-formal education programs and innovative solution with the
help of teach for Pakistan and taleemi razakar. These are young educated citizens get paid for their
contribution by teaching in governments schools. This government approach towards OOSC have
many setbacks, no intact policy is initiated that can decrease the OOSC ratio and fill the resource
gaps.

Now towards the policy alternatives that can helpful in bringing down the OOSC numbers in
Pakistan.