Lending meaning to adult literacy

AS THE world observes the international literacy day today, it should help us focus attention on the state of Pakistan’s own literacy. Given its failure to teach reading and writing skills to a majority of its people, the country continues to be weighed down with a low literacy rate of 44 per cent (according to foreign agencies) or 51 per cent (if the government is to be believed). In any case this gives us an unbelievably large mass of illiterate people above 15 years of age — approximately 46 million. This leaves us lagging way behind the Third World average of 73 per cent. This poor performance on the literacy front is difficult to justify if it is recalled that Pakistan was a participant at the Jomtien (Thailand) conference in 1990 which set the goal of ‘education for all’ and many participants managed to boost their literacy rates tremendously in the Jomtien decade.

Unesco has once again launched a literacy decade. As we enter this decade, the Pakistan government has drawn up guidelines for action which if implemented in good faith can make a dent in the problem of illiteracy. In the ’90s, Pakistan’s strategy was to concentrate its efforts solely on enhancing the primary school enrolment ratio. It succeeded somewhat in this field and gross school enrolment went up. But this failed to change the literacy rates substantially for the simple reason that only a small percentage of the children who entered school would remain there for more than a year or two. The shockingly high drop-out rate at the primary level and the very limited number of schooling years have meant that a majority of these children have grown up to be illiterate adults.

This is a pity because it has not only resulted in an enormous waste of resources without any proportionate gains being achieved, it has also diverted attention and funds from the all-important adult literacy sector. It is only now that adult literacy has been included as an integral element of the education programme. The Education Sector Reforms envisage the raising of literacy to 60 per cent by 2005 by making 13.5 million people literate at a cost of Rs 8.3 billion. It is, however, difficult not to feel sceptical about the success of this campaign. The government promised to set up 270,000 adult literacy centres in four years. Two years have already passed, and only 6,000 centres have been opened. We do not know how many of the target of 13.5 million have been made literate so far. But at this rate, it is difficult to believe that the goals laid down will actually be met. One further hopes that the authorities will adopt a holistic approach and in their enthusiasm for promoting adult literacy will not proceed to neglect primary education. If anything, primary education must be expanded and its standards raised so that the drop-out rate is reduced and the average schooling years increased. It is by focusing on both areas that the country can enhance its literacy rate and improve the skills of its people. It is important that the adult literacy programme is made meaningful by designing courses and textbooks which are related to the everyday life and activities of the adults enrolling in it. This will also help raise the school enrolment ratio, for parents who are literate ensure that their offspring receive education.

Worst not yet over

A SPOKESMAN for the Sindh chief minister has claimed that the beaches of Karachi will be restored to their pre-oil spill state “soon”. That is a highly optimistic statement. Much of the oil might have been emptied out of the Tasman Spirit but the worst is far from over. In fact, according to experts, the after-effects of the oil slick will be around for quite some time. The focus of the government’s clean-up operation should now partially shift towards taking measures to minimize the damage caused to the health of people living close to the shore and to the area’s ecosystem. Some residents have complained that they and their children have developed health problems because of the persisting noxious fumes.

Going by what happened over a decade ago in the case of the Exxon Valdez spill off the coast of the US state of Alaska, the contamination could last several years and will require constant vigilance on the part of the authorities and residents. Despite the use of dispersants — a health hazard in itself — the oil can retain its toxicity and carcinogenic state for a long time in the water, causing considerable harm to anything living that comes in contact with it. The government committee entrusted with supervising the clean-up operation should ask the relevant departments to set up medical camps for residents and should put in place a system where the air quality is regularly monitored so that preventive measures can be taken if the contamination increases. Several large schools are situated close to the shore and they should be asked to organize medical camps for their students. The issue of seeking compensation from the owner of the tanker and of putting in place an effective contingency plan to deal with any spills in future must also be taken up and pursued in a serious and thorough fashion. And, the inquiry being conducted by the ministry of communications must be made public.

Stir among lawyers

FRIDAY’S clash between lawyers and employees of the Lahore High Court sets a bad precedent for the resolution of any outstanding issues that the legal fraternity wants settled. Using intimidating tactics or issuing threats does not achieve anything other than raising tensions. The incident would probably have blown over without so much trouble had it not been for the tension existing between the bench and the bar over the Legal Framework Order. It is understandable that the lawyers are unhappy over some of the LFO’s provisions. One of their main objections is to the provision under which superior court judges have been allowed a three-year extension in their tenure. The lawyers’ position on the LFO is the same as of many other sections of democratic opinion in the country. In the past as well, lawyers have been in the forefront in the fight for democracy in the country. There are other issues that the lawyers want to be addressed. In the case of Lahore, lawyers are also demanding action against police officials responsible for the operation that led to the death of three civil judges in Sialkot in July.

These are all just causes to agitate. However, whether violent scenes, boycotts and long marches can produce the desired results remains debatable. A state of confrontation between the lawyers’ community and judges will further imperil the rule of law. When court proceedings are disrupted, the ultimate sufferers are the litigants. As lawyers all over Pakistan, particularly in Lahore, register their objections, it would be appropriate to remind them to keep public opinion on their side by causing the least possible dislocation of the judicial system. A representative delegation of lawyers should meet the chief justices and open a rational dialogue on all issues.