Is there any way to make our education system best? Every year we celebrate the fact that allocation for education by federal as well as provincial government goes up by 10-15 percent, though we are still only spending about 2.3 percent of GDP on education and it is significant percentage of provincial budget. The government's own statistics acknowledge that some 21 million-plus five- to 16-year-olds are still out of school. Our ground education structure is weak because we haven't been able to improve enrolment at primary level. In fact, if it were not for the increase in enrolment of children in private-sector schools, the overall enrolment rates would be showing a declining trend. Our high dropout rates mean that out of 100 children enrolling in grade 1 in Pakistan, only five to six make it to college level. Our shift rates, from primary to middle and high school are feeble. Despite the increase in private sectors, there are too many primary schools which are devoid of even basic facilities and we don't have enough competitive teachers as primary and higher secondary classes.
Given this situation, what will an increase of 10 percent to 15 percent in the budgets achieve on the education front? What is there to celebrate in such increases? Will these increases allow us to fulfil our constitutional obligation of providing every child in Pakistan with 10 years of quality education? In Punjab, laptop distributions come out of the education budget. Where is the evidence that giving laptops will improve the quality of education in the country? It might be a popular move and an attempt to get votes, but how is it related to educational quality or outcomes?
We also know that even after matriculation it is not easy to get any job now. So, even if a child is successful in getting through matriculation examination, his/her chances of landing a good job are not high or even reasonable.
Education indicators in Sindh show a complete lack of political will. Child labour is on the rise in rural Sindh due to poverty, and perhaps this is one of the factors behind the decline in boys' participation rate. Proper research into this emerging phenomenon could help develop strategies to reverse the trend.
Data about population that has completed primary or higher level education indicates a mere 2 percent increase at the national level from 47 percent to 49 percent. The news from Sindh is even worse: it shows a decline of 1 percent from 49 percent to 48 percent. Interestingly, however, the percentage among girls for this indicator has slightly increased from 36 percent to 37 percent. Perhaps stipends for girl students and other similar schemes to encourage girls' education in the province may have contributed towards this. In terms of urban and rural areas trend, there is 1 percent decrease in the former and 3 percent in the latter.
For a decade, we have been boasting about grand education-sector reforms in Sindh. But things are not improving. Half of the schools in the province are still without basic facilities such as drinking water, electricity, toilets and furniture, etc - even though every year's budget documents, there is always a special mention about providing such essentials. Institutional inefficiencies and vested interests continue to plague the education sector.
Pakistan cannot progress without an educated and skilled labour force. Who will fix it, and how? There is a no simple answer. First, understanding is required as to where the fault lies. Only sincere and honest efforts can steer us out of the education crisis.
Apart from plans on paper some honesty and commitment are needed if decades of backsliding in education are to be rectified. Without a sense of purpose, the whole exercise of 'improving' education becomes a waste of time and money.
(Goutam Utradi, Kishwar Abro, Fatima Baloch, Sujeet Darma, Khuram Abbas, Mohsin Tunio and Babar Tawiri)