June 05, 2006	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 8, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 4: The Economic Survey provides no current figures for education sector except data of a nationwide survey conducted in 2004-05. According to the survey, the country achieved only 53 per cent overall literacy rate in 2004-05, performing far below the expectations of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), the Education Reform Action Plan and the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Low enrolment rates and poor quality of education being provided by the public sector are the key impediments to the progress in reaching a higher level of literacy rate, says the economic survey released here on Sunday.

The overall adult literacy rate for the year 2004-05 was 53 percent against the target of 60 per cent set by the Education Reform Action Plan 2001-05. It was also below the PRSP target of 58 percent for the period of 2004-05. The MDGs target is to reach 80 percent literacy till 2015.

“The national education system of Pakistan has to meet the basic learning needs of our society, emphasising basic literacy and life skills, increasing access to and completion of quality education, address gender, geographical and structural disparities, and enhance the efficiency of education governance,” the survey warned.

Scarcity of funds, weak implementation and monitoring of programmes, overlapping and high recurring costs, low access to basic education, static curriculum and minimal public-private partnership in education sector, especially in the rural areas, have impeded the development process in the education sector.

Discrepancies at the provincial level persist ranging from Sindh with highest literacy rates at 55 percent and Balochistan at 37 percent.

Overall adult female literacy increased from 32 percent in 2001-02 to 40 percent in 2004-05. The corresponding change in the male literacy rate was from 58 to 65 percent. Literacy remains higher in the urban areas (71 percent) as compared to the rural areas (44 percent). In absolute terms, the number of illiterates in 10-plus age group is 51.8 million.

Provincial/district comparisons: For the first time, the government has reported through Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey (PSLM) 2004-05 district-level data for the major indicators in the education sector.

The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) for the primary schools (age 5-9) has increased from 72 per cent in 2001-02 to 86 per cent in 2004-05. Narrowal district in Punjab, Karachi in Sindh, Abbottabad in NWFP and Ketch in Balochistan with GER of 130 per cent, 111 per cent, 117 per cent and 110 per cent, respectively, have been ranked as top districts within the provinces.

District Muzzafargarh with 66 per cent GER in Punjab, Jacobabad with 43 per cent in Sindh, Kohistan with 52 per cent in NWFP and Jafarabad with 33 per cent in Balochistan were at the bottom in GER within the provinces.

The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) was 42 per cent in 2001-02 and has increased significantly to 52 per cent in 2004-05. Sialkot (84%) in Punjab, Karachi (85%) in Sindh, Abbottabad (70%) in NWFP and Ketch (63%) in Balochistan have been ranked on the top in each province. However, Bahawalpur with 38% in Punjab, Jacobabad with 25% in Sindh, Kohistan with 24% and Qilla Abdullah with 19% in Balochistan are ranked at the bottom within the provinces.

Similarly, in GER at the middle school level, Chakwal (81%) and Muzaffargarh with 28% were at the top and bottom, respectively, in Punjab; Karachi (67%) at the top and Thatta (17%) at the bottom in Sindh, Chitral (77%) at the top and Kohistan (18%) at the bottom in NWFP, Ketch (62%) at the top and Kharan (11%) at the bottom in Balochistan.

However, NER gives a more realistic picture showing that Sialkot (30%) is ranked at the top and Rahim Yar Khan (11%) at the bottom in Punjab, Karachi (27%) is at the top and Thatta (8%) at the bottom in Sindh, Abbottabad (29%) at the top and Batagram (5%) and Kohistan (5%) at the bottom in NWFP and Quetta (17%) is ranked at the top and Qilla Saifullah(3%), Zhob (3%), Kharan (3%) are at the bottom in Balochistan.

At the matric level, GER and NER were (42 to 44%) and (9 to 11%), respectively, during the period of 2001-02 to 2004-05. Rawalpindi (80%) was at the top and Lodhran (23%) at the bottom, Karachi with 79% was at the top and Thatta with 20% at the bottom, Chitral (83%) at the top and Kohistan and Shangla with 18% at the bottom, Quetta (65%) at the top and Kharan (13%) at the bottom in Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan, respectively.

In NER, Lahore (19%) in Punjab, Karachi (20%) in Sindh, Abbottabad (18%) in NWFP and Punjgur (16%) in Balochistan are top districts in the provinces.

However, Lodhran (4%) in Punjab, Mirpur Khas (3%) in Sindh, Kohistan (1%) and Upper Dir (1%) in NWFP and Qilla Saifulla (1%) and Kharan (1%) in Balochistan are at the bottom within the provinces.