89.9% of Sindh’s schools only offer primary education
'Sindh Education Profile' shows a sorry state of higher secondary education in the province
PHOTO: AFP
HYDERABAD:
When Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari compares the performance of his party's Sindh government with the provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), he takes pride in the Sindh health department's accomplishments. But, the education sector is noticeably absent from his praise when Bilawal appeals to voters in his speeches to judge the PPP's services in the health sector against Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's metro buses in Punjab and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's tree plantation in K-P.
Perhaps the reason is that he realises that the education department has not fared well enough to render a sense of achievement. And the recently launched annual schools census report for year 2016-17 explains this discontent.
The 214-page report titled 'Sindh Education Profile' was launched at an event in Karachi this week by the provincial education department. It encompasses an array of parameters assessing academic standard, enrollment and a range of facilities.
Education: a solution for Pakistan
One of the many interesting features of the report is the statistics of the number of government schools, which show a yawning variance from the primary to the higher secondary levels. According to the census, 38,132, or 89.9%, of the total 42,383 schools in the province provide only primary education.
The middle and elementary schools, which provide education beyond primary level, amount to only 6% of the primary schools at 2,241. There are 1,719 secondary schools and 291 higher secondary institutions.
Hyderabad region
With an exception of Hyderabad district where around 19% government schools offer middle to secondary education, the percentage in the remaining eight districts in the division varies from a meager 4% to 11%. Badin district, with 2,934 government schools, has the highest number in the division. But, against its 2,763 primary schools only 101 offer middle and elementary education, 60 secondary and 10 higher secondary.
Similarly, out of 1,821 schools in Dadu district, 1,679 are primary while only 57 offer middle, 70 secondary and 15 higher secondary education. Among Sujawal district's 1,390 schools, only 30 offer middle, 18 secondary and six higher secondary education while the remaining 1,336 are primary schools.
For the students in the neighbouring Thatta district, prospects for acquiring middle to higher secondary education are no better than in Sujawal. As many as 1,195 of the 1,282 government schools in the district are limited to primary level of education. Only 42 offer middle, 38 secondary and seven higher secondary education.
Reflecting a direct effect of the huge difference, the census shows that against 176,000 students at the primary level in Dadu, only over 43,000 are admitted in classes up to 10 and 3,600 others to the college level. Likewise, against 157,270 students enrolled in the primary schools of Badin, the combined strength of students in the upper level schools, including college, stands at less than 38,000.
As many as 61,580 students are enrolled in primary schools in Sujawal and 63,758 in Thatta. In comparison there are just 9,305 and 12,458 students in classes six to 10 and 1,148 and 1,087 in college respectively in the two districts.
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Some 2,650 primary and 168 upper level schools in Badin, 1,492 primary and 141 upper level schools in Dadu, 1,078 primary and 49 upper level schools in Sujawal and 1,024 primary and 80 upper level schools in Thatta are functional. Sujawal's Kharo Chann taluka has the lowest enrollment of 162 students in up to class five and only six primary teachers are posted in the taluka. From classes six till college, not a single student is enrolled.
Mirpurkhas region
In the desert district of Tharparkar, a total of 3,439 government schools exist. But a staggering number of 3,179 schools, with an enrollment of 122,590 students, are of the primary level. With only 260 middle to higher secondary schools, the enrollment equals only around one-fourth of the desert's primary students.
The coterminous Umerkot district only has 141 middle to higher secondary schools against 1,887 primary schools with an enrollment of around 92,416. In comparison, the students from class six to college level total about 25,000, which is less than 30% of the strength at the primary level.
In Mirpurkhas district, there 1,808 primary, 81 middle, 19 elementary, 74 secondary and 16 higher secondary schools with a total of 162,368 students, of which 118,202 are enrolled in the primary section.
In the division, 1,664 primary and 184 upper level schools in Mirpurkhas, 2,741 primary and 250 upper level schools in Tharparkar and 1,699 primary and 134 upper level schools in Umerkot are functional.
Larkana division
Merely around 8% of schools in Kambar-Shahdadkot district provide middle to college education while 1,328 are primary schools with a registration of 145,666 students against 41,126 in classes up to 10th grade and 2,362 in colleges.
‘Students’ futures shaped by primary education’
Out of 1,427 schools in Jacobabad district, 1,310 are primary while there are just 117 middle, elementary, secondary and higher secondary schools. A similar difference also exists in the enrollment with 113,558 students studying in the classes up to class five, 27,077 in the middle and high schools and 3,712 in colleges.
In Kashmore, Larkana and Shikarpur districts there are 1,264, 1021 and 982 primary schools respectively and 104, 137 and 119 middle, elementary, secondary and higher secondary schools.
In the division, 1,213 primary and 116 upper level schools in Kambar-Shahdadkot, 1,239 primary and 113 upper level schools in Jacobabad, 1,143 primary and 101 upper level schools in Kashmore, 991 primary and 136 upper level schools and 895 primary in Larkana and 115 upper level schools in Shikarpur are operating.
Sukkur division
A symmetrical imbalance is also found in the three districts of Sukkur division where against 2,966 primary schools in Khairpur district, only 324 schools provide middle to college education. The strength of students from classes six to college stands at roughly one-third of 246,619 primary students.
In Ghotki and Sukkur districts, 1,759 and 1,027 primary schools exist respectively in comparison to 132 and 160 schools from middle to higher secondary. Some 2,764 primary and 321 middle to higher secondary schools are functional in Khairpur, 1,654 and 127 in Ghotki and 951 and 160 functional in Sukkur.
Nawabshah division
Less than 7% of 2,955 schools in Sanghar district provide middle to higher secondary education and the remaining are limited to primary education, enrolling 188,062 students against 54,432 up to class 10 and 4,961 in the higher secondary. Some 2,134 schools in Nawabshah and 2,006 schools in Naushero Feroz districts are primary while 227 and 229 respectively range from middle to high secondary schools.
Primary education: In Pakistan 6.2m children still out of school, says report
The schools which are functioning in these districts include 2,561, 2,040 and 1,952 primary schools in Sanghar, Nawabshah and Naushero Feroz districts respectively and 186, 226 and 222 upper level schools.
When Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari compares the performance of his party's Sindh government with the provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), he takes pride in the Sindh health department's accomplishments. But, the education sector is noticeably absent from his praise when Bilawal appeals to voters in his speeches to judge the PPP's services in the health sector against Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's metro buses in Punjab and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's tree plantation in K-P.
Perhaps the reason is that he realises that the education department has not fared well enough to render a sense of achievement. And the recently launched annual schools census report for year 2016-17 explains this discontent.
The 214-page report titled 'Sindh Education Profile' was launched at an event in Karachi this week by the provincial education department. It encompasses an array of parameters assessing academic standard, enrollment and a range of facilities.
Education: a solution for Pakistan
One of the many interesting features of the report is the statistics of the number of government schools, which show a yawning variance from the primary to the higher secondary levels. According to the census, 38,132, or 89.9%, of the total 42,383 schools in the province provide only primary education.
The middle and elementary schools, which provide education beyond primary level, amount to only 6% of the primary schools at 2,241. There are 1,719 secondary schools and 291 higher secondary institutions.
Hyderabad region
With an exception of Hyderabad district where around 19% government schools offer middle to secondary education, the percentage in the remaining eight districts in the division varies from a meager 4% to 11%. Badin district, with 2,934 government schools, has the highest number in the division. But, against its 2,763 primary schools only 101 offer middle and elementary education, 60 secondary and 10 higher secondary.
Similarly, out of 1,821 schools in Dadu district, 1,679 are primary while only 57 offer middle, 70 secondary and 15 higher secondary education. Among Sujawal district's 1,390 schools, only 30 offer middle, 18 secondary and six higher secondary education while the remaining 1,336 are primary schools.
For the students in the neighbouring Thatta district, prospects for acquiring middle to higher secondary education are no better than in Sujawal. As many as 1,195 of the 1,282 government schools in the district are limited to primary level of education. Only 42 offer middle, 38 secondary and seven higher secondary education.
Reflecting a direct effect of the huge difference, the census shows that against 176,000 students at the primary level in Dadu, only over 43,000 are admitted in classes up to 10 and 3,600 others to the college level. Likewise, against 157,270 students enrolled in the primary schools of Badin, the combined strength of students in the upper level schools, including college, stands at less than 38,000.
As many as 61,580 students are enrolled in primary schools in Sujawal and 63,758 in Thatta. In comparison there are just 9,305 and 12,458 students in classes six to 10 and 1,148 and 1,087 in college respectively in the two districts.
Unesco report: Low salary of teacher at core of Pakistan’s education woes
Some 2,650 primary and 168 upper level schools in Badin, 1,492 primary and 141 upper level schools in Dadu, 1,078 primary and 49 upper level schools in Sujawal and 1,024 primary and 80 upper level schools in Thatta are functional. Sujawal's Kharo Chann taluka has the lowest enrollment of 162 students in up to class five and only six primary teachers are posted in the taluka. From classes six till college, not a single student is enrolled.
Mirpurkhas region
In the desert district of Tharparkar, a total of 3,439 government schools exist. But a staggering number of 3,179 schools, with an enrollment of 122,590 students, are of the primary level. With only 260 middle to higher secondary schools, the enrollment equals only around one-fourth of the desert's primary students.
The coterminous Umerkot district only has 141 middle to higher secondary schools against 1,887 primary schools with an enrollment of around 92,416. In comparison, the students from class six to college level total about 25,000, which is less than 30% of the strength at the primary level.
In Mirpurkhas district, there 1,808 primary, 81 middle, 19 elementary, 74 secondary and 16 higher secondary schools with a total of 162,368 students, of which 118,202 are enrolled in the primary section.
In the division, 1,664 primary and 184 upper level schools in Mirpurkhas, 2,741 primary and 250 upper level schools in Tharparkar and 1,699 primary and 134 upper level schools in Umerkot are functional.
Larkana division
Merely around 8% of schools in Kambar-Shahdadkot district provide middle to college education while 1,328 are primary schools with a registration of 145,666 students against 41,126 in classes up to 10th grade and 2,362 in colleges.
‘Students’ futures shaped by primary education’
Out of 1,427 schools in Jacobabad district, 1,310 are primary while there are just 117 middle, elementary, secondary and higher secondary schools. A similar difference also exists in the enrollment with 113,558 students studying in the classes up to class five, 27,077 in the middle and high schools and 3,712 in colleges.
In Kashmore, Larkana and Shikarpur districts there are 1,264, 1021 and 982 primary schools respectively and 104, 137 and 119 middle, elementary, secondary and higher secondary schools.
In the division, 1,213 primary and 116 upper level schools in Kambar-Shahdadkot, 1,239 primary and 113 upper level schools in Jacobabad, 1,143 primary and 101 upper level schools in Kashmore, 991 primary and 136 upper level schools and 895 primary in Larkana and 115 upper level schools in Shikarpur are operating.
Sukkur division
A symmetrical imbalance is also found in the three districts of Sukkur division where against 2,966 primary schools in Khairpur district, only 324 schools provide middle to college education. The strength of students from classes six to college stands at roughly one-third of 246,619 primary students.
In Ghotki and Sukkur districts, 1,759 and 1,027 primary schools exist respectively in comparison to 132 and 160 schools from middle to higher secondary. Some 2,764 primary and 321 middle to higher secondary schools are functional in Khairpur, 1,654 and 127 in Ghotki and 951 and 160 functional in Sukkur.
Nawabshah division
Less than 7% of 2,955 schools in Sanghar district provide middle to higher secondary education and the remaining are limited to primary education, enrolling 188,062 students against 54,432 up to class 10 and 4,961 in the higher secondary. Some 2,134 schools in Nawabshah and 2,006 schools in Naushero Feroz districts are primary while 227 and 229 respectively range from middle to high secondary schools.
Primary education: In Pakistan 6.2m children still out of school, says report
The schools which are functioning in these districts include 2,561, 2,040 and 1,952 primary schools in Sanghar, Nawabshah and Naushero Feroz districts respectively and 186, 226 and 222 upper level schools.