Room for improvement: Four-year plan unveiled for capital’s education

ISLAMABAD:

With 76 per cent of net enrolment rate of early childhood education and 21 per cent at the secondary level, the capital’s monitory division unveiled a four year plan for the city’s education on Monday.

According to Pakistan Education Statistics 2011-12, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) witnesses steep downfall in enrolment till the secondary level.

To address the issue and enroll over 0.1 million out-of-school children, the Capital Administration and Development Division unveiled the Education Sector Plan (ESP) 2014-18.

The report was launched at a hotel with conflicting figures that created confusion among those who attended the launch.

Interestingly, a report titled National Plan of Action (NPA) 2013-16, which was released in 2013 by the education ministry, also carried figures and plans regarding the capital.

The ESP report states that there are 0.177 million out-of-school children in the capital while the NPA said there are 43,327 children in the age group of 5-9.

However, a senior official at CADD refuted both figures and said as per their survey there are 37,000 children in the capital who are not enrolled in schools.

The ESP covers the provision of basic education in ICT to children in the age group of 5-16 years. It also sees school-based ‘Early Childhood Education’ interventions for children under five. However, it does not address technical and vocational education, and non-formal education.

Drop out has not been an issue in ICT but repetition rates are a cause of concern as they stand at 48 per cent at the primary level, 16 per cent at lower secondary and 7 per cent at higher secondary level. As per enrolment statistics, out of four students who start in grade one, only one reaches secondary school.

CADD Secretary Khalid Hanif agreed the plan was unveiled a year after work began on it. “Some work in this regard has already been started but now we will expedite it,” he said.

A CADD official said the plan was unveiled in collaboration with a German donor agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2015.