KARACHI:
The current literacy rate in Pakistan is approximately 59.13%, which means that a significant proportion of the population is still illiterate. This can help explain Pakistan’s lack of progress and development in recent decades. Across the country, there is a low enrolment rate for primary schools and even the children that do acquire secondary education are unable to attain higher education. Consequently, the unskilled and uneducated population is soaring, which has given rise to other problems.
Individuals with low levels of literacy are unable to find employment and are forced to work in unskilled/low-paying jobs. Consequently, they are more dependent on government support or are likely to turn to criminal activities to boost their income. People with low levels of literacy fail to make informed decisions about socio-economic or political matters. Also, functionally illiterate parents often prioritise work over education, which results in poor educational outcomes for their children and result in generational illiteracy and poverty. Low levels of literacy also result in poor health behaviours, which leads to higher hospital admissions, lack of engagement with health services, and high immortality.
The government is compelled to spend more on welfare and social programmes because of high illiteracy while government tax and productivity remain low. Fewer individuals occupy skilled positions because of which the overall GDP growth and development is slow in the long term. Thus, there is a need to improve literacy levels in the country otherwise the country will be plunged into socio-economic turmoil. People should be informed of the benefits of high literacy levels and incentivised to send their children to school.
Muzna Mehmood
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2022.
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