Millions of kids out of school in K-P

Meagre job prospects, child marriages jeopardise the future of uneducated youth in the province

PESHAWAR:

For a country facing crippling finances, combatting peaking crime and suffering endemic social injustice, the provision of quality education to children gives some hope for a better tomorrow, however as millions of children in the northern province remain out of school, the mirage of optimism comforts only a lucky few.

Despite having a proper schooling network comprising thousands of learning centres, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) is home to a huge population of school-aged children who are unable to attend school due to the closure of several educational facilities following the reemergence of terrorism and the aftermath of last year’s catastrophic floods in the province.

Jan Muhammad, a father from Chitral shared his struggle trying to locate a functional school near his area, where his daughters go to study after their previous schools were swept away during last year’s flooding.“We have complained to the government and donor agencies several times but so far no efforts have been made to reconstruct the wrecked school buildings,” retorted Muhammad, who exhibited his apprehension for the future of his children.

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According to the results of a census survey carried out under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for the year 2021-2022, almost 4.7 million children aged five to 16 are out of school in K-P.

Furthermore, as per statistics released by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Monitoring Authority (EMA) for the same year, more than 1,000 primary and secondary schools are temporarily non-functional across settled and merged districts of K-P, whereas 44 others are permanently closed due to a looming threat of terrorism.

Sources from the EMA further revealed that up to 200 educational institutions were destroyed by the floods which hit K-P in August of 2022 and affected Swat and its nearby areas the worst, but the required reconstruction work was still pending.“It is a pity that so many of the schools in K-P are non-functional either due to the destruction caused by the floods or because of the persistent threat of militancy.

Terrorists targeted our schools with the spiteful aim of destroying the futures of our children and so far, they seemed to have succeeded,” resented Shahnawaz Khan, a lecturer at the Islamia College in Peshawar. Khan’s worries are bolstered by social activists, who foresee the appalling socio-economic repercussions of breeding a growing population of uneducated youth.

Imran Takkar a child rights activist, whilst speaking to the Express Tribune, voiced his concerns for the future of the country, given the abysmally low rate of literacy in K-P.

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“A large out-of-school population is a clear indication of dropping economic productivity, meagre human capital development and a growing dependency on social welfare. When children are not educated, their future job prospects are dim, and their productivity and earning potential is compromised, ultimately disturbing the economic progress of the province.”

“This allows the cycle of poverty to continue putting unwarranted financial stress on the state’s resources, which are used up for welfare programmes,” explained Takkar, who went on to conjecture that a lower literacy rate could also lead to a spike in the incidence of social vices like prostitution, beggary, drug trafficking, street crimes and even child marriages.

“Girls that are out of school are at a much higher risk of being married off at a young age, whereas uneducated boys are quite likely to get involved in criminal activities. Therefore, a comprehensive plan must be devised to tackle the rising rate of illiteracy in K-P and protect the future of our children and nation,” he added.

Speaking to the Express Tribune on the matter, Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, the caretaker information minister said, “we will try our best to ensure the functionality of schools and the availability of teachers across K-P.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2023.