A sorry state of affairs: ‘40% of Hyderabad’s children do not go to school’

Speakers highlight shortage of schools and teachers

KARACHI: Around 40 per cent children of school-going age in Hyderabad are not enrolled while both the quality of education and infrastructure facilities are lacking in public schools.

This was shared at a dialogue, titled 'School education in Hyderabad and role of political parties', organised at the Indus Hotel by Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-Saps) and Alif Ailaan.

According to an unofficial estimate, over 238,000 children between five to 16 years of age are not enrolled in any school. Ali Ahmed of I-Saps added that the existing number of 7,051 teachers and 937 schools is proportionally lower than the number of children of school-going age.



"Political interference in education must end," asserted Dilawar Qureshi, an MPA of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). "Until action is taken against ghost teachers, ghost schools and the conniving officials, things will not change."

Abrar Qazi, a leader of Awami Jamhoori Party, blamed both the Pakistan Peoples Party and the MQM for the sad state of education in the province. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Azam Jahangiri complained that people unnecessarily vilify the madrassa system that provides both the religious and worldly education to children.

The organisers passed resolutions calling for enhancement of the provincial budget for education from the current Rs8 billion to Rs9.7 billion in the upcoming 2015-16 budget.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2015.