Primary Education in Pakistan Decline by 3%

Pakistan is one state among 200 countries on the global map wherein percentage of primary education has declined to the extent of 3 per cent during the last decade. Three out of five persons in Pakistan cannot read and write. Pakistan is at No 132. In the literacy chart, literacy in Punjab is below 46 per cent and eight million children between ages of 5 to 9 are deprived of primary education while 40 per cent of Punjab population up to the age of 14 years consists of children - of them 50 per cent do not go to schools.

The children population less than 18 years of age in Pakistan is 70 million. 20.60 million are of less than 5 years, and almost 20.30 million below the age of 18 years do not go to schools. The total strength of schools in Pakistan is 2,60,0095 out of which 1,44,724 are in the public sector. The total strength in these schools consists of 30.33 million children.

The lack of facilities in government schools force the parents to send their children to private schools where they have to pay higher expenses, which has always a heavy toll on the budget of families while their children do not get quality education.

One out of 40 schools do not have boundary wall, 1/5th are without electricity and drinking water facility and 1/4th do not have any class room furniture, 1/7th do not have labatories. Hundreds of schools can be termed as ghost schools as teachers are getting salaries but the institutions do not exist anywhere. Hundreds of primary schools in the rural areas are used for livestock.

That is the standard of basic education in Pakistan where the basic quality education is only for those who can afford. What the state and its ministries are doing. We must have to step ahead to secure the future of our Pakistan.