Literacy rate remains higher in urban areas

The overall literacy rate (age 10 years and above) is 57.7 percent (69.5 percent for male and 45.2 percent for female) compared to 57.4 percent (69.3 percent for male and 44.7 percent for female) for 2008-09, said the Economic Survey 2010-11.
The data shows that literacy remains higher in urban areas (73.2 percent) than rural areas (49.2 percent), and is more prevalent in men (80.2 percent) compared to women (65.5 percent) in rural areas.
However, it is evident from the data that rural-urban and male-female disparity seems to be closing a bit. The literacy rate in Punjab stood at (59.6 percent), Sindh (58.2 percent), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (50.9 percent) and Balochistan at (51.5 percent). The literacy rate of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has improved considerably during 2008-09 and 2009-10. Pre-Primary Education is the basic component of Early Childhood Education (ECE), Prep or Kachi classes of children having age of 3-4 years. An increase of 4.0 percent in Pre-Primary enrolment (8.743 million) in 2009-10 over 2008-09 (8.434 million) has been observed during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 2.0 percent in 2010-11, it said.
The Economic Survey report said that a number of 157,360 Primary Schools with 466,451 Teachers are functional. An increase in Primary enrolment (18.756 million) in 2009-10 over 2008-09 (18.468 million) has been observed during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 1.4 percent in 2010-11. A number of 41,330 Middle Schools with 331,254 Teachers are functional.
An increase in middle enrolment (5.501 million) in 2009-10 over 2008- 09 (5.414 million) has been observed during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 0.4 percent in 2010-11. A number of 24,792 Secondary Schools with 446,490 Teachers are functional. An increase in secondary enrolment (2.581 million) in 2009-10 over 2008-09 (2.556 million) has been observed during 2009-10. It is estimated to increase by 2.9 percent in 2010-11.
Enrolment of 1.257 million is estimated in 2010-11 against 1.165 million in 2009-10 whereas, 3,323 Higher Secondary Schools and Inter Colleges with 77,118 Teachers are functional. An enrolment of 619,629 students is expected during 2010-11 in Degree Colleges against 542,381 in 2009-10.
A total of 1,439 Degree Colleges with 30,753 teachers are functional. An enrolment of 1,105,307 is estimated in 2010- 11 in Higher Education over 935,596 in 200910. In order to boost-up higher education. Three new universities have been established during the year 2009-10 making the total number to 132 universities with 57,780 Teachers in both Private and Public Sectors, said the Economic Survey.
The quality of existing learning environment is evident from the fact that a large number of schools are missing basic infrastructure facilities ie 32.7 percent schools up to elementary level, 32 percent are without boundary wall, 33.6 percent without drinking water facility, 35.4
percent without latrines and around 60 percent schools are without electricity. For higher accessibility of education particularly for girls in low income household and to enhance the enrolment, existing schools should be upgrade with the provision of necessary infrastructure to improve both output and quality of education.
About the Navtec, it said rate of women participation is only 29 percent, which is far less than other regional countries. It said under the different long-term programmes, commission emphasises a shift from curriculum base to competency based training through its National Skills Strategy 2009-13, to create demand driven training system as per requirement of industry.
The Economic Survey said that under President's Fanni Maharat Programme individuals, across the country are provided opportunities to gain skills from vocational training institutes/centres. Prime Minister's Hunar Mand Pakistan Programme is also a similar kind of step to launch different skill development programme, in four priority sectors including: Construction, Agriculture, IT and Telecommunication and skills for women.
The Higher Education Commission is an autonomous body to provide inter-universities co-operation and co-ordination. Due to continued financial vulnerabilities, the government has reduced development budget to Rs 9.2 billion in 2010-11 compared to Rs 11.3 billion in 2009-10. The education Policy 2009 calls for an increased access to higher education for the youth of age group between 17-23 years from the existing 5 percent to 10 percent by the year 2015.
During 2009-10, there were 868,641 students studying in the universities. To provide the access of quality higher education to the masses, Charters to two new universities were awarded in 2010-11. Higher Education Commission has sent about 4,313 scholars in the technically advanced countries for research degrees such as M Phil and PhD. Out of these 1,214 have completed and returned to the country. Similarly, scholars were also encouraged to enroll in the local universities. This has helped to promote the research culture indigenously. HEC sponsored 8,873 scholars in the local universities out of which 2,524 have completed their studies, it said.
During 2010, more than 750 PhDs degrees were awarded by Pakistani Universities. Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) has been launched to gainfully used trained manpower. So far 288 PhD graduates have been placed through Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs Programme, out of which 156 have graduated from abroad and 132 from Pakistani universities, it said.
HEC's Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN) will connect, 55 new universities/institution/ Campuses and the work is in process. HEC has provided eight universities with the standard off the shelf Campus Management Solution (CMS) for the automation of student-centric academic processes. HEC is planning to extend these facilities to 30 Public Sector Universities/Institutes of Pakistan in next 3 years, it said.
The Economic Survey said during 2010-11, allocation made under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) stands at Rs 5,071 million for 86 development projects against which, Rs 1,722 million have been released up to January 2011. Under the 18thconstitutional amendment, Ministry of education (MoE) has been devolved therefore; no further releases have been made. The on-going projects and programmes are going to be operated by the provincial governmental or relevant ministries in which they are transferred.
In the financial year 2010-11, an amount of Rs 823.1 million was allocated for the project "Education Sector Reforms Program-Provision of Missing Facilities" to improve physical
infrastructure and basic facilities in government primary and elementary schools. The project is being operated across the country except Punjab. The project targeted 5704 schools out of which 3038 school have been completed and remaining 2666 school are in progress. So far, Rs 2680.5 million has been released and amount has been distributed among the provinces (Sindh, KPK & Balochistan) and Areas (FATA, FANA/ GB & AJK) as per approved Cash/Work Plan, it said.
Ministry of Education awarded 100 scholarships to Bangladeshi Students. 200 scholarships were awarded to students from Indian Occupied Kashmir in the field of medicine, engineering and information technology. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has increased the number of scholarships from 200 to 400, it said.
Under Cultural Exchange Programme Scheme, Ministry of Education awards 200 scholarships each year to foreign students. Currently 75 students are studying in Pakistan under Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP), said the Economic Survey.
It said 2,000 scholarships were awarded to the Students from Afghanistan. Under Provision of Quality Education, students from Balochistan and Fata are provided with scholarships to study at cadet colleges, public schools, polytechnic, commercial collages and private institutions. The scheme provides 330 scholarships each year.
Under Cultural Exchange Programme, 54 Scholars were sent abroad on scholarship for higher studies (China 23, Turkey 10, Romania 3, Slovak 1 and Egypt 17). Under Commonwealth Scholarship Programme, six scholars proceeded to the UK 09 students preceded to Bangladesh for MBBS studies on self-finance basis under Saarc quota. 40 scholarships were awarded to the minority students. Scholarship was given to 199 students under the scheme "Provision of Quality Education Facility" to Fata students, said the Economic Survey.