Right to education: rhetoric and hard facts

Education is often hailed as the "mother of all rights". Prominent human rights advocates have emphasised education as the foundation of human development, equality, social justice and peace.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) recognised free and compulsory education as a fundamental right (Article 26). Pakistan belatedly incorporated this right into its Constitution in 2010 through Article 25-A. Yet, 14 years later, an alarming 25 million children remain out of school, with 20 million never having entered a classroom. Institutions tasked with safeguarding human rights, like the National Commission for Human Rights and Parliament's Standing Committee on Human Rights, remain largely silent. Where is the accountability for this neglect, and why has the constitutional mandate been reduced to mere rhetoric?

The right to education under Article 25-A receives scant attention from civil society and electronic media. Even the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has remained silent on the violation of this fundamental right to education. Many human rights activists hail from privileged backgrounds, leaving them less inclined to champion education for those without access. Parliamentarians focus on their reelection by impressing voters with their short-term projects and are least interested in investing in education which produces results over a longer period. This apathy extends to the state itself. Despite numerous national commitments, education remains chronically underfunded.

Pakistan's abdication of its responsibility is evident in dismal statistics. Education spending has plummeted from 2.3% of GDP in 2015-16 to a meager 1.5% in 2023, exposing a shocking lack of political will. This underfunding hinders the expansion of educational opportunities to disadvantaged groups. In Sindh, 46% of children aged 5-16 are out of school, while this rate in Balochistan has soared to 58%. Over 60% of girls in 57 districts remain uneducated, according to the 2023 Population Census. Marginalised regions including Southern Punjab, KP's merged districts, rural Sindh, and Balochistan bear the brunt, with over half of children denied education.

Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced an 'Education Emergency' in Pakistan without allocating additional funds. The seriousness of provinces taking this important initiative can be judged from the case study of Punjab, which is the province of the Prime Minister and is being ruled by his niece, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Home to the largest number of illiterates (31.5 million) and out-of-school children (9 million), Punjab allocates a mere 13% of its budget to education, the lowest among all provinces. Instead of expanding resources, Punjab has pursued a strange policy of closing down or outsourcing its government schools. From 2001 to 2023, Punjab has already shut down or privatised over 10,000 public schools. This has led to a loss of nearly 60,000 teachers and a worsening student-teacher ratio. As per data available on the School Information System (SIS) of Punjab, the government schools in this province are facing a shortage of 124,775 teachers.

The impact of educational neglect extends beyond statistics. According to the UNDP's Global Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2024, over 93 million Pakistanis live in poverty. Education deprivation alone contributes 41.3% to Pakistan's poverty index, surpassing other countries. Despite overwhelming evidence that free, compulsory education lifts people out of poverty, governments in Pakistan tend to prioritise vote-winning infrastructure projects over investing in the schooling of the next generation. This resource misallocation highlights poor governance and a shocking disregard for children's rights.

The road forward demands political will and accountability. Implementing Article 25-A requires committed policies, increased funding, and targeted programmes to bring marginalised children into classrooms. Only when Pakistan addresses these hard facts, can it hope to secure a prosperous and just future for its people.