SUMMARY of the Article “Education Crisis,” Dawn, August 25th, 2024

The article discusses a recent report by the Planning Commission, which highlights the severe structural inadequacies in Pakistan’s education sector, raising significant concerns about the country’s readiness for the future. The District Education Performance Index report categorizes the education system as ‘low performance,’ primarily due to inadequate public financing and poor-quality teaching, which has resulted in persistently low student learning outcomes. Although the report notes that Pakistan performs slightly better in providing educational infrastructure, access, inclusivity, and equity in access to technology, it emphasizes that there is an urgent need for improvements in these areas to reach acceptable standards. Governance and management of educational institutions are also poor, mainly due to teacher shortages and high bureaucratic turnover. The report reveals stark disparities among provinces, with Balochistan and Sindh performing the worst, while Islamabad and Punjab perform better. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) shows commendable progress, but interprovincial disparities overshadow its achievements. The article underscores the importance of improving the education system to build economic resilience and prepare the future workforce for modern challenges. It warns that without a well-educated and trained workforce, Pakistan’s economy will struggle, particularly given its large population of school-going age. The article calls for prioritizing public financing for education at both federal and provincial levels and commends the Planning Commission for its structured approach to addressing this crisis. It expresses hope that the identified areas » Read More…