Karim Madad

The enrolment of out-of-school children has increased greatly in Pakistan in recent decades but the quality of education still needs to be improved, WealthPK reports.

According to a report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), since 2010, the provision of free and compulsory quality education to children has become a part of the Constitution of Pakistan and expansion of education opportunities has been embraced in the country’s national long-term strategy.

“Partnering with private companies could speed the process,” said the report. It added that although overall school enrolment and educational attainment improved countrywide over the last two decades, Pakistan still faced grave challenges in providing quality and adequate education to eligible children.

“Almost 23 million, or 44% of children between the ages of five and 16, are out of school. The percentage of out-of-school children is significantly higher in rural areas,” it said. It added that stark disparities existed in access to school and quality of education across the country.

In 2019, Pakistan had a gross primary education enrolment rate of 95.4%. However, only 70% of the children entering primary school were estimated to reach 5^th grade, with considerable provincial differences.

Gross and net enrolment rates at the primary, middle and high school levels in Sindh and Balochistan consistently fall below those in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Students’ unwillingness to get education has been attributed to a shortage of schools, substandard quality of education and teachers’ absenteeism. Inadequate basic infrastructure such as electricity, drinking water, boundary walls and toilets were also a problem, it added.

The report said that compared to primary schools, the number of secondary schools was much lower in Pakistan, especially in rural areas. A long distance between home and school and poor transportation and communication facilities are also key causes of high dropout rates, particularly in regions with difficult geographical terrains and communities affected by conflict and natural disasters.

The challenge in access to post-primary school education is even more severe. The majority of public schools (80%) are primary schools, and only 20% are middle and secondary schools. Limited access to affordable and quality secondary schools is a fundamental cause of the low post-primary enrolment rate.

The report said that the government alone could not accomplish the noble task of providing quality education to all eligible students.

“A non-conducive environment for learning at schools further reduces the motivational level of both students and parents. Classrooms tend to be overcrowded, with a low teacher-student ratio, hampering effective learning. Outdated pedagogical practices, inadequate subject specialists, the appointment of teachers without merit, high turnover rate, and multi-grade teaching exacerbate the situation,” said the report.

It said that in addition to expanding teachers’ recruitment, teacher deployment across schools and across grades within schools needed to be optimised.

This strategy will also help to eliminate multi-grade classrooms. Teachers should be well trained to engage students in classroom discussions, develop critical thinking, support holistic development and effectively handle weak learners.

The report said that more investment in education was needed to address the challenge of uneven access to school and improve the quality of teaching. Public spending on education is below three percent of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product and still, provincial governments spend on education below their budget allocation. The government needs to increase the fiscal budget for secondary education.

The report observed that the use of information and communication technology and the e-learning system could be considered. Non-salary operating expenses and developmental expenditures are critically important for key inputs and quality initiatives, such as teacher training.

It said that the private sector should play a monumental role in improving access to schools and the quality of education.

“Work needs to be done toward curriculum and assessment reforms, teacher management, and the production, use and analysis of quality data at the provincial departments of education. More resources should be devoted to the training of staff responsible for curriculum and development of textbooks,” said the report.

It said that provincial authorities must strive to reduce political interference and increase transparency at the district and sub-district levels of the education management system.

Professionalising district education management, hiring enough officers at the district and sub-district levels through a merit-based process and building their management and leadership capabilities would enable them to provide support and supervision to schools much more effectively.

“Pakistan has the opportunity to dramatically improve its education system. The right policies need to be put in place for this generation of students to benefit,” said the ADB report, available with WealthPK.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk