A POLITICAL system that has persistently neglected public needs cannot be expected to meet the demand for education without tackling misspending, corruption and cronyism.

Meaningful reform in Pakistan’s education sector is not only about allocating sufficient budgets; it also entails better utilisation of funds.

This concern is evident in a report by education campaigner Alif Ailaan. While tracking KP’s education reforms, the report, Five years of Education Reforms: KP Wins, Losses and Challenges for the Future, 2018-23, found that more than 51pc of girls in the province are not in school.

Though KP has spent billions on infrastructure development, i.e., making boundary walls, toilets, etc, it has not yet plugged the gap between the provision of primary and post-primary education.

Because primary schools outnumber middle and high schools, student retention rates drop.

Without further education options, fewer families invest in primary schooling. If the government offers communities opportunities (free education, book stipends, additional middle and high schools) so that children can complete their education, it would reduce dropout rates and also cap the stubborn gender gap.

Moreover, free transport for girls when schools are far from their homes in villages helps keep them in education.

Linked to these lapses is the reported suicide of a teenager from Chitral who shot himself because he was unable to continue his education.

This distressing episode in itself is a damning indictment of our apathetic leadership. Where the province’s leadership is concerned, they seem complacent in the belief that reforms in education are a feather in their cap given the huge amounts spent on it.

Recall that in May 2017, PTI leader Imran Khan tweeted about 100,000 children moving from private to public schools in KP while lauding his province’s education provision.

Almost a year later, as Mr Khan relentlessly campaigns for the top political slot, the Alif Ailaan report serves as reminder of his pledges.

Because all children — girls included — deserve quality education, it is time voters held lawmakers accountable so that overall learning prospects improve.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018