Out of school

According to a report by Unicef, Unesco and the government, 6.5 million children of primary schoolgoing age are currently out of school in Pakistan. Beyond grade five, which is the most common grade after which students drop out, 2.7 million children are out of school. Quite obviously, this is a situation that is leading the country to its own downfall as it fails to develop its own human potential.

The purpose of school is to equip children with knowledge and broadmindedness. In obtaining that education, students also learn numerous life skills along the way, such as how to cope with failure and set realistic goals for one’s future. They develop rational thinking, communication and social skills as well. With millions of children out of school, Pakistan is a land of wasted potential. Too many uneducated, frustrated adults roam the street, stressed about not being able to find a job or working at menial jobs that barely provide enough food on the table. Indeed, a policy change in education is required. If we continue to neglect the issue, the cycle of poverty and illiteracy will continue throughout generations and this fact is bolstered by another statistic in the report: nearly half (49.2 per cent) of children in low-income households are out of school versus 17.5 children from the wealthiest quintile. Parents struggling to put food on the table will naturally give their children’s education lower priority, which will limit the child’s opportunities at success. Effectively, this child will face the same problems as his parents later on and the cycle will continue.

In order for the impact of this disparity to be realised on a grand scale across the country, our education department and other stakeholders must revisit educational policy and laws about school attendance. The achievement gap must be addressed so that one day, all citizens can give one another equal respect without disparaging someone for being jaahil.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2013.

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