Education crisis

The state of education in Pakistan leaves much to be desired. The District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) Report 2020-23, prepared by the Planning Division, has placed the country's education system in the 'low' performance category. The report further states that public financing received the lowest score, underlining the need for increased and more strategically targeted investment in the education sector. In 2010, the parliament transferred policy, administrative and fiscal authority over education to the provinces. Since then, provincial governments have enacted compulsory education laws, boosted budgetary allocations for schools, and introduced various governance and data reforms. However, the provincial education ministries have performed with less than desired results, with Sindh and Balochistan lagging behind Punjab and K-P.

With Pakistan dedicating just 1.9% of its GDP to education, the budgetary commitment to the sector is clear. However, simply increasing resources is not a complete solution. A lot more needs to be done. There are approximately 26.2 million children out of school in the country. Among those who are in school, many receive a subpar quality of education. Access to quality education is largely determined by parental income: higher income allows parents to afford better educational opportunities for their children, while those with lower income either face challenges in enrolling their children in school or must settle for government or low-fee private schools, which often deliver inadequate education. We need to increase the number of schools, teachers and classrooms; overhaul our assessment and examination systems; update our curricula and textbooks; enhance the teaching skills and content knowledge of educators; and improve governance structures in the public sector.

All these measures, and more, must be implemented promptly. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure provision of quality education, as the children of today will be the means by which the country can progress tomorrow.