PM reforms fail to change fate of ICT education

Literacy indicators gloomy despite millions being pumped in the programme

ISLAMABAD: At the time when generally the educational standards and figures are steadily improving nationally, the picture in the federal capital is gloomy where literacy indicators are supposed to stay far above the mark despite millions being pumped in the name of Prime Minister Reforms programme.

The latest Annual Status of Education Report has nullified all the tall claims and figures of Capital Administration and Development Division, the ministry which oversees 422 educational institutes in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).



CADD minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhary was handpicked by Maryam Nawaz in November 2016 for the programme called PM Reforms launched in December 2016. It was supposed to “change the fate of education in federal capital.”

Nevertheless, in contrast to other provinces, according to the recent survey of ASER, the Islamabad Capital Territory witnessed sharp decline in teachers and students attendance and missing boundary walls.

According to the survey, the attendance of teachers in rural ICT has witnessed a nosedive from 90% to 77% during 2013 and 2016. Similarly even the figures in this regard in private sector have dropped from 92% to 89%.

The attendance of students in government schools in rural areas is not encouraging over the course of four years. It was 88% in 2013 but has gone down to 80% in 2016.

The appalling figures are about usable water in ICT as it was 100% in 2013 but has declined to 50% in 2016, while the percentage of the toilets has gone down from 86% to 75% and same is the fate of boundary walls.

The government has allocated Rs 10 billion against the development budget for education institutions, mainly schools and colleges in ICT. And it has increased from Rs2.1 billion in 2013-14 budget to Rs5.6 billion in the recent fiscal year. While Rs3 billion has also been disbursed under the PM reform programmes.



But apparently the money is not bringing any change. The Federal Directorate of Education which looks after the education in ICT has not seen a permanent director general for the past three years.

The ASER report shows that 26% of children between the ages 6-16 go to private schools and the percentage was 24% in 2015.

Early Childhood Education in rural parts of Pakistan has been on a declining trend, falling from 39% in 2014 to 36% in 2016.

Overall, government schools have witnessed a fall of 7.5% (63% overall) in enrollment for ECE, while the private sector continues to hold a 37% slice of total enrollment.

It was earlier this year that the CADD minister reshuffled all the bureaucrats in the ministry for “ill performance.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2017.