Pakistan Government To Introduce A Four-Year National Education Emergency
According to the Pakistani media house Dawn, the current government is planning to introduce groundbreaking changes in the education sector considering the lower indices and structural issues of education in the country. As per the Pakistan Education Statistics, the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan is alarmingly high with a staggering 26.2 million which is nearly 39% of the total children. The pervasive deficiency demands immediate intervention in the education sector, Dawn reported.
Notably, the literacy rate is significantly low with 38 percent means these people can not read or write. The educational institutions also face basic infrastructural issues and lack facilities including adequate sanitation, potable water, and secure boundary walls. These deficiencies in the education sector are accentuated by the lower budget spending on the education sector by the government. Reportedly, the education sector received only 1.7 percent of the GDP in the last fiscal year.
The existing lapses have become a concern for the nation which is already grappling with a worsened economic status. Education advocates have been demanding stern actions from the government. Last month federal education minister, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui briefed on the prevalence of out-of-school children and other educational deficiencies. He vowed to petition to the PM and cabinet to declare a national educational emergency.
Considering the dire situation PM Shehbaz Sharif decided to chair a national conference to discuss the impending education sector changes. The proposed national conference on education emergency aims to bring stakeholders from all spheres including ministers, development partners, diplomats, and educationalists. As per the reports, the Pakistani government will introduce a four-year education emergency across the nation.
According to the local media reports, the conference seeks to come up with a holistic strategy to address these deficiencies and foster an inclusive and conducive learning environment for all.
