ISLAMABAD, June 11: The Economic Survey of Pakistan (ESP) 2003-04, unveiled on Friday, has estimated literacy rate at 54 per cent, with 66.25 per cent among men and 41.57 among women in the current year.

However under the Education Sector Reforms (ESR), the government plans to enhance literacy rate to 60 per cent by 2006, the ESP said. The original ESR package was of Rs55.5 billion.

The duration of the package has been extended to 2005 to accommodate the president's programmes which include mainstreaming of madressahs and setting up of monotechnics/polytechnics at the Tehsil level. Therefore, its cost estimates have been increased to Rs100 billion.

Other targets of the ESR mentioned in the ESP 2003-04 are increasing gross primary enrolment from 83 per cent in 2001 to 100 per cent in 2005, net primary enrolment from 66 to 76 per cent, middle school enrolment from 47.5 to 55 per cent, secondary school enrolment from 29.5 per cent to 40 per cent and higher education enrolment from 2.6 per cent to five per cent.

Similarly, the number of technical steam schemes under the ESR will be increased from 100 to 1,100, polytechnics/monotechnics from 77 to 160, mainstreaming madressahs from 148 to 8,000, public-private partnerships from 200 to 26,000.

Financial requirements for ESR action plan 2001-05 has been estimated at Rs100 billion. An amount of Rs8.3 billion has been allocated for literacy campaign, Rs34 billion for elementary education, secondary education, Rs10 billion; technical education, Rs15 billion; college/higher education, Rs10 billion; mainstreaming of madressahs, Rs14 billion; public-private partnership, Rs0.7 billion and quality assurance, Rs8 billion.

The cost of the Asian Development Bank assisted technical education project is placed at Rs2,727 million with focus on improvement of physical facilities, standarization of labs, provision of equipment, human resource development and introduction of new technologies.

Recognizing the importance of technical education, the education ministry is proceeding with the establishment of one quality polytechnic institute initially at the district level. The cost of the scheme is placed at Rs7,190 million, the document says.

Similarly, in order to create a conducive environment for private sector involvement in the education sector, the cabinet has already passed a decision to facilitate the entry and participation of non-governmental entities in the sector.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) was established in September 2002 with a view to guiding higher education policy and assisting universities and degree awarding institutions in pursuit of quality education at the seat of higher learning, both public and private.

According to the ESP, the total number of public and private institutions at primary level is 156,100; middle level, 28,716 and at high school level, 16,059 in the financial year 2003-04.