The committee has indeed touched upon an issue of vital national importance. The magnitude of the task, therefore, is such that it must be tackled on a war footing. Nothing less will do. Firstly, the region suffers from an acute shortage of qualified teachers. It is essential, therefore, for the government to both initiate teacher training programmes and provide incentives for those willing to teach in the tribal areas. Prime Minister Imran Khan has recently rightly instructed that higher education spending not be cut regardless of budgetary constraints. This is a good sign in that it shows that the government may be willing to spend funds on education in the tribal areas as well. Secondly, according to the Academy of Educational Planning and Management (AEPM), 58 % of the tribal areas’ children from KG to Grade 12 are out of school. This necessitates not only a media awareness campaign but also awareness programmes conducted through tribal elders and the ulema, both of whom wield considerable influence in the tribal areas. Thirdly, there are daunting challenges such as lack of school buildings and science laboratories which are going to have to be addressed. In many cases, schools even lack furniture so that students may be able to concentrate on acquiring an education.
It is important to remember, however, that it will take resolve on the part of the government to allocate funds for education in the tribal areas at any cost. The government must not waver. There is too much at stake.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2020.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
1714107664-0/putinfar-(1)1714107664-0-270x192.webp)
1714024018-0/ModiLara-(1)1714024018-0-270x192.webp)
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ