Pakistan needs to pull up its ‘Primary Education’ socks

Pakistan needs to pull up its ‘Primary Education’ socks

One of the factors that is considered when determining whether a country is developed, developing or underdeveloped is the literacy. It is not the only factor, yet countries with lower literacy rates tend to be found the underdeveloped or developing nation
category.

While Pakistan may be considered developing for many, many reasons, ranging from per capita income, to the percentage of population living below the poverty line to the overall standard of living, the literacy rate does factor into the equation.

The literacy rate in Pakistan is not as low as one would fear, yet the figure for it may be slightly misleading. The requirement for being termed ‘literate’ in Pakistan is “being able to read and write one’s name”.

When one sees that as the primary criteria, the word literate seems to lose much of its value.

The main reason for the low literacy rates in the country is the lack of adequate Primary education, which takes place from Class/Grade 1 to 5. It is the foundation upon which medium and later, higher education is built upon.

While the enrolment in urban areas is strong, there are mixed results in rural areas. According to the United Nations a large majority of children enrol in schools and colleges, yet the percentage that complete their education are much, much lower.

Mostly because the students also work on their family lands or are seen primarily as a source of income. Why would a person who struggles to make ends meet as it is put his child in a school, when the same child could be earning instead?

It is that short term thinking, brought about by the conditions he is living in, that is creating this vacuum. Education need not be bookish or curriculum based, but basics can be taught and more emphasis be made on technical skills and training.

The fact of the matter is that are a number of solutions that could be worked out to ensure that the next generation of Pakistanis are better equipped to deal with a world which is constantly evolving. Being left behind is not something this nation can afford.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=6218

Posted by Musa Afridi on Dec 15 2011. Filed under Education, Opinion, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry