Investment in social policies, reducing inequalities is critical to progress. CREATIVE COMMONS
The innovative social policies have proved their utility in these countries that helped to narrow income gaps and improve health and education in poor communities. Pakistan can emulate such effective and inclusive policies for greater economic growth and human development.
For the first time, the three biggest developing economies – China, Brazil and India – are now producing nearly the same share of world output as the leading industrial countries of Europe and North America (HDR 2013). Economic experts believe that by 2020 these three countries together will surpass the industrial powers and will keep growing for decades.
This happens only because there have been much greater reduction in inequality in health and education in the last two decades than in income. These achievements are largely attributed to sustained investment in education, healthcare and social programmes, and open engagement with an increasingly interconnected world.
Furthermore, in the last two decades more than 40 developing countries experienced significantly greater improvement in the Human Development Index. This dramatic change in living conditions of people in these countries is unprecedented in scale and pace.
These successful stories and human development models of neighbouring countries are a greater food for thought and provide an insight into how Pakistan can enhance the skills and productivity of its people through learning from the experience of these countries.
But what has gone wrong with the development model of Pakistan? Why Pakistan is lagging behind?
The recent launch of the “District Education Rankings 2013” by Alif Ailaan and Sustainable Development Policy Institute depicts a stark picture of the state of education and calls for urgent action to end Pakistan’s education emergency. The ranking has also established variations in the standard of education across the country.
According to the rankings, on the scale of 1 to 100 only six districts out of 145 have made above 80 in the education index. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Poonch district has scored 82.94. In Punjab, northern districts have performed better, followed by districts in central Punjab.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Abbottabad and Haripur districts have been ranked the best and in Balochistan, the least developed province, only 17 out of 30 districts have been ranked marginally above 50.
Balighur Rahman, State Minister for Education and Training, has also acknowledged the dismal education system, saying 25 million children out of school in the country is a national shame.
The healthcare facilities also present a very disappointing scenario. This is the outcome of extremely low expenditure on health over the last 65 years.
Health expenditure in the country remained in a low band of 0.5-0.8% of gross domestic product during 1970-2012, which is very low compared with other developing countries of South Asia.
Not only the health expenditure is inadequate, but also delivery of healthcare facilities is also inefficient. Moreover, primary healthcare and rural health services were ignored and priority was given to hospitals, medical colleges and curative services in urban areas.
When we look at inequality, Pakistan falls in the Human Development Index by 30%, just because of health and educational inequalities. The disparity between the richest and poorest in terms of education and healthcare and poor public infrastructure are primarily responsible for this.
Standing at 146th position out of 187 in the Human Development Index, Pakistan falls in the “low human development” category. Investment in reducing inequalities is now critical and if healthy measures are not taken, millions of people will fall in the poverty trap.
After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, education and health are more of a provincial subject and all provinces should redefine their health and education policies to get the country out of the quagmire. However, to achieve sustained progress, there is a dire need of inclusive and pro-poor policies and significant investments in people’s capabilities, especially through health and education initiatives coupled with improvement in public service delivery.
It is welcome that major political parties including PML-N, PPP, PTI, ANP and MQM at least mention education and health as important sectors that warrant immediate attention in their manifestos. The political parties, which are in power, must realise the need and importance of health and education and serve the interest of people instead of fulfilling vested interest.
The writer is a public policy analyst and consultant at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (15)
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@RAW is WAR: "what does the map tell anyway?" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thats obvious. It tells that the entire globe can be covered in 6 colors:).
what does the map tell anyway?
@bball: Yes, I agree with you. We cannot have inequality. Economic progress leads to inequality. Lets keep everyone poor so that we have true equality.
@Ali Tanoli: U are wrong browsky Islam says get the knowledge from any where from who ever whether Hindu or yahudo ….
Islam is a perfect religion, why borrow knowledge from others.
@nishantpatwari:
So I assume you do not use and recommend to others not to use any item invented by non muslims. That is the logic of your point since you live in the "Land of the Impure".
We don't believe this report. Pakistan is always number one in ranking. Is not it pakis?? Pakis should be proud with this. lets celebrate with one more missile.
@nishantpatwari U are wrong browsky Islam says get the knowledge from any where from who ever whether Hindu or yahudo ....
Neighbours follow evil zionistic capitalistic form of market based economy that allows it gov. to work for the welfare of its people and lift them from poverty, where as we will follow pious sharia based economy and soon take our people and country to 7th century thats where the welfare of people lies and thats what we want (ET article on sharia financing).
Instead of saying, "only our ways are the right way," try to follow the paths of the countries who have achieved something.
Social programs are funded by government expenditure, government spends from revenues generated by tax, tax is funded by private enterprise, private enterprise is encouraged by a safe and stable economic environment with sound infrastructure and the rule of law. A government cannot throw funds into social programs until it has first covered the basics under which private enterprise flourishes. The West is currently groaning under the weight of debt as the size and cost of running the government is crushing the ability of private enterprise to fund it.
now we can't learn from our neighbour as they are hindu zionist and we are pure.
Unfortunately, your premises that reduction of inequality have led to India and China's growth are unsubstantiated and likely incorrect. In fact, China has gone from being a pretty equal nation 3 decades ago to a highly unequal one with the emergence of new super classes. For India, though lesser extent than china, the difference amongst the rich classes and the rest has grown significantly also. By that logic, we need to increase inequality, rather than reduce it.
The only party that has shown some seriousness in investing in education and health care so far has been PTI as their first and latest budget in KPK shows. ANP, PPP, PML-N, MQM and the Army never invested in these two critical sectors as much as they should had.
@Raja Taimur "Learning from fast growing neighbors" Raja Sahib, We should have had, but we preferred begging for loans and in doing so, we lost, not only our dignity, but identity too. this is our harsh reality,