Concerns persist about Pakistan's Literacy Rate
on International Literacy Day
On International Literacy Day, Pakistan faces a
stark reality as it grapples with a literacy rate that falls below
international standards, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the country's
education system.
Education Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry
revealed that Pakistan's actual literacy rate currently stands at 59.3 percent,
which contrasts with the 62.8 percent figure reported in the Economic Survey
2022-23. Mr. Chaudhry explained that the rate in the Economic Survey was an
estimate based on older data and lacked the latest census data. After the
national census, it was determined that the actual literacy rate had improved
slightly, reaching 59.3 percent.
Mr. Chaudhry also pointed out that all provinces
saw an increase in literacy rates. Punjab rose from 66.1 percent to 66.3
percent, Sindh from 61.1 percent to 61.8 percent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) from
52.4 percent to 55.1 percent, and Balochistan from 53.9 percent to 54.5
percent. The cumulative increase places the nation's actual literacy rate at
59.13 percent.
However, despite these improvements, Pakistan's
education sector continues to face challenges due to limited funding. A federal
government schoolteacher expressed dissatisfaction with a 60 percent literacy
rate, emphasizing that 40 percent of the population remains illiterate.
Pakistan allocates less than 2 percent of its
GDP to education, as revealed in the Economic Survey for 2022-23. The report
highlighted that the total education expenditure by federal and provincial
governments in fiscal year 2022 amounted to just 1.7 percent of the GDP. It
also noted that 32 percent of children were out of school, with a higher
percentage of girls than boys deprived of education. Balochistan had the
highest percentage of out-of-school children at 47 percent, followed by Sindh
with 44 percent, KP with 32 percent, and Punjab with 24 percent.
Pakistan currently holds the distinction of
having the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with over 23
million children missing out on education. Furthermore, concerns persist
regarding the quality of education, with surveys indicating that a significant
number of fifth graders struggle to read sentences in both English and Urdu.
In higher education, the quality has also fallen
short of expectations, leading numerous Ph.D. holders to stage protests in
Islamabad in recent years, demanding job opportunities in government
universities.
As Pakistan observes International Literacy Day,
voices within the country's education sector are calling for a reevaluation of
priorities, highlighting the urgent need for increased funding and support to
ensure the nation's future prosperity through education.
Source: Pro Pakistani
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