Pakistan is the least spending country on education all over South Asia and is one of the 12 countries in the world that allocate less than 2% of GDP on education. In fact, the ratio has come down to 1.8% in 2000s than 2.6%, in the 1990s
Education is central to the development strategy of a country. It plays vital role in the formation of human capital. Literate human resource has been found to have strong and consistent effects on economic growth and productivity of a people. Peace, harmony and social cohesion are the product of education. Uniform standards of education minimize regional as well as ethnic disparities and create level playing field for all to equitably compete in economic market. It helps evolving economic wellbeing, combating unemployment, removing discriminations and sets best practices for gender equity and progress.
Voting in response to public policy measures is pretty uncommon in Pakistan and almost inexistent in smaller districts. If at all, ‘education’ rarely counts for that. This is, perhaps, one of the reasons that education has never been a priority for those at the helm of affairs. Bending their ‘will’ to education, in a feudal set up, is no less than a challenge. ‘Election 2013’ was the best opportunity to shift that trend, to whatever extent possible.
Education reforms and progress has been a subject much spoken about in the last more than a decade. But tall claims rarely make a difference unless things are set right at micro level. Despite constitutional inscriptions, along with 18th amendment including the prominent clause on ‘the right to education’ and relatively a progressive Education Policy (2009) in place, the quality and ratio of education is far from satisfactory anywhere in the country but there is no parallel for backward districts.
Time and again, the Government of Punjab claimed, in last 5 years, that promoting education in the poorer districts is its top most priority. Education Sector Reform Programme (ESRP), Chief Minister’s Reforms Roadmap, Pakistan Education Fund (PEF), Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF), National Plan of Action for Education for All, are some of the eminent measures that it purports of taking to serve the cause. How far it is moving on the right path, assessing the status of education in Rajanpur as an underprivileged district, will bring truth to the surface. Ironically the province itself has made limited progress but some districts lag far behind.
National Education Policy (NEP 2009) equivocates: “Our education system must provide quality education to our children and youth to enable them to realize their individual potential and contribute to development of society and nation, creating a sense of Pakistani nationhood, the concepts of tolerance, social justice, democracy, their regional and local culture and history based on the basic ideology enunciated in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
It further states:
“A system of Universal Primary Education is imperative. It is essential to the nation as a base for the entire structure of secondary and higher education from which will come leadership in all walks of life and support for technical developments in agriculture and industry” and “heavy investment at the primary level to reveal talent and to lay the basis of attitudes of mind essential to development. This will improve the secondary and higher stages of education, which have been recruiting from too narrow a base in the past. In addition, it will eventually furnish the necessary expanded inflow into technical and vocational institutions” and would lead to a knowledge society.”
Despite much needed improvement in education sector, its’ national budget in terms of GDP has been and still remains low. In fact, Pakistan is the least spending country on education all over South Asia and is one of the 12 countries in the world that allocate less than 2% of GDP on education. In fact, the ratio has come down to 1.8% in 2000s than 2.6%, in the 1990s, far below than internationally prescribed limits varying between 6%, as recommended by Dakar Framework of Education at the World Education Forum (2000) and 20% as prescribed by UNICEF (Ibid).
Employing internationally recognized education indicators and International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), facts and figures collected by Pakistan’s first ever National Education Census (NEC 2005-2006) conducted by the Federal Ministry of Education, Statistical Bureau and Pakistan Social and Livelihood Measurement Surveys (PSLMS) conducted later, reveal that Pakistan is still far from attaining universal primary enrolment.
The case of Rajanpur:
Falling at the confluence of Sindh and Baluchistan, District Rajanpur, with two of its electoral constituencies PP-249 (Tehsil Rajanpur) and PP-250 (Tehsil Rojhan), is one of the poorest south-western districts of Punjab. Its’ political landscape is spotted by tribal chiefs and their political cohorts, most of them still tending age-old values and traditions. Until recently, they were found openly opposing education. School enrollment ratio, in the district, is far lower than several other districts in the north-eastern districts of Punjab. The Net Enrollment Ratio also stands much lower than the provincial average. Literacy ration in tribal areas is far worse than rural and urban areas. Generally, one fifth of the villages have got Middle Schools and just over one-third of the villages in both the said constituencies posses a primary school. In total, there are only 428 Primary Schools and 24 High Schools all over the district. The number of schools in the de-excluded tribal area hardly touches 5. Facilities, as essential as classrooms, boundary-walls, toilets, electricity, drinking water, furniture and playgrounds, are missing from most schools. Falling far short of the local needs, there are only two institutes for Special Education in Rajanpur and only one in Rojhan Tehsil.
All primary and secondary sources attest the poorest of the poor state of Rajanpur’s education all over Punjab. Its progress registers itself at the lowest ratio and the slowest in momentum. 1998 Census ranks it 33rd, almost the lowest echelon of literacy in the whole province. Out of 106 districts in the country, Rajanpur plunks at 74th, sitting lowest in terms of all literacy measures. By the end of the 1990s, only 22% of all the school going age (5 to 9 years) children were enrolled at schools. The next lowest enrollment ratio was measured of Muzzaffargarh, Layyah and Lodhran, once again three other districts of South Punjab. Major discrepancies are observed with respect to the area and gender in terms of enrollment. Urban boys are observed having an enrollment ratio a little above 50% while urban girls’ ratio for the same sits at 44%.
Back in late 1990s there were only 1% post graduates, 2% graduates, 5% intermediate, 15% matriculate and 21% doing their 8th grade.
Pakistan SLMS (2004-2005) puts the district’s literacy ratio at 40%, with a ratio of 52% male, 25% female, 63% urban and 36% rural. Out of 63% urban literacy, male literacy falls at 71% and female about 53%, and male 49% and female 21% within the rural statistics of 36% in total. For the whole province the most recent literacy ratio shows it at 60% with 70% male and 51% female, and rural male 64% and rural female 42% of 53% in total and urban male 80%, female 71% with urban male at 76% in total (PSLMS 2010-2011).
Teachers-student ratio is highly skewed in rural, urban, suburban and tribal areas, each with its own peculiarity. Never-enrolled and drop-out ratio in every village is higher than provincial average. Teaching English and in English, though an admirable policy decision turns out to be a barrier for many. Teachers here are neither qualified nor aptly trained for teaching in English. Enhancing enrolment and controlling drop-our ratio remains a serious challenge for the district (as well as the province) in its’ bid to achieve MDGs i.e. 100% enrollment and retention by the end of 2015. Conjecturing its’ accomplishment for the next three years, Rajanpur has already missed the target like several other districts in the province.
The education and literacy situation in tribal areas is far worse than rural and urban areas of Rajanpur. However, in urban areas of Fazilpur town, the literacy rate is speculated to be as high as 80% (local estimates) because of several schools and colleges there and a tendency to seek education. Largely, no more than half the villages of Rajanpur and less than half the villages of Rojhan have got primary level school facilities available. Hardly 20% of the villages have got middle level schools and nearly 20% of the secondary level schooling facilities are available only to less than 15% of the villages. Just one-third of the villages are observed having any schooling facility for the villages of PP–249 (Rajanpur) and 250 (Rojhan). In Rojhan the ratio turns even worse. All over the district, there are 428 Primary Schools and 24 High Schools. All over Rojahn Tehsil there are 3 Girls High Schools only. Number of schools in de-excluded area of Ozman hardly exceeds five.
Annual budget allocated to the District hardly suffices for running expenses like salaries and utilities, with a meager chunk going into repair, maintenance and other teaching-learning aids. Sardonically, MPAs are entitled for the budget to construct new schools. The Education Department (Rajanpur) plays no role in prescribing its’ budgetary wants. It is the provincial centre then DCO at the district who hold sway in this arena. The School Management Council (SMC) Fund is separately transferred to the SMCs account. A very positive initiative but its’ amount it too low and marred with delays within and from the province.
Direly in contrast to public schools, whose unenviable quality, inaccessibility and poor facilities and services are the subject of discussion; an exorbitantly expensive Daanish School System is being introduced in various districts of Punjab, including Rajanpur.
Daanish School System:
Only the building of Daanish School in Fazilpur cost Rs.772.79 million. Without addressing several other deprivations and discrepancies, in an underprivileged area like Rajanpur, the GoPj believes Daanish Schools to create “level playing field, develop future leaders, create social harmony and help ending poverty in the province”.
Providing best educational opportunities to poorest of the poor is said to be its chief purpose. It also projects “accepting talented but poor children to offer them high quality training”. The question is how come the poorest of the poor reach Daanish Schools, from far of areas of Rojhan, Rajanpur, Pachad and Tribal Areas where most schools are deprived of fundamental needs and services. A provision of self-finance admission worth monthly Rs.11000/month fee is also there that remains an impending threat of the school being captured by the local elites.
Neighboring community in Kalanpur (PP–249) thinks that the government’s Daanish School at Fazilpur might be a great project but only for the select few. Millions of rupees have been invested just to accommodate 220 children, though on merit. Kids studying in the poor quality government schools are hardly capable enough to get through the entry test. Exemplifying, they describe the pathetic condition of a nearby school in Darkhuasti Miran that has been there for the last 25 years with two rooms – only one is functional, the other very small and damaged - and a small veranda to serve 250 students. Out of the two teachers, only one attends; the other runs a medical store at a private hospital. The school’s condition has not been improved - despite several complaints and applications - for more than two decades. Many similar schools make faces to the grandeur of Daanish School just across the road and besides. ‘With the same amount of money, hundreds of government primary schools could have been improved’, they argue. In the absence of essential infrastructure in most schools, terming it a faulty planning or a political stunt wouldn’t be inappropriate. Perhaps there could be no other inappropriate use of foreign funds. More than 90% of the rural, tribal, urban and suburban children are still bound to go to, if at all, to the primary and middle schools functioning without fundamental facilities.
The feudal lifestyle and protocol influences students’ minds negatively. Several colleges, even school students imitate them and want to become or at least behave like tribal chiefs. “Things will only change’, says Principal Degree College Rajanpur, when education will become a source of employment and honour and feudal culture assuages. Although the ratio of education in Rajanpur has improved in the last five years but only marginally and its’ effects are yet to be seen.
No water, no toilets, no electricity:
Both in Rajanupr and Rojhan Tehsil number of schools are deprived of fundamental facilities like classrooms, boundary walls, toilets, main gates, doors, windows, furniture, instructional material, textbooks, drinking water facility, playgrounds and number of other essentials creating a learning environment. Out of 1300 schools of Rajanpur Halqa 249, approximately 850 schools do not have electricity. The District Education Department identifies around 1000 schools in the District Rajanpur that are deprived of vital services like drinking water, toilets, furniture etc. The provincial government, last year allocated only Rs.4.8 million for repair and maintenance but only for 12 select schools. Most children at schools sit on naked earthen fields, bring their own mats or take refuge in nearby mosques or lend an empty house from the villagers. Somewhere there are no sweepers or no chaprasi for day to day work within or outside the schools to maintain correspondence with other offices.
Unless the civil society and people in general pick education as their political demand, the situation is unlikely to change any sooner. If we intend to develop fast, education needs to be promoted on war-footings. With open media, expanding urbanization and growing influence of NGOs, people in Rajanpur are increasingly getting conscious of their collective strength. Organizing and empowering them further around policy demands for education can strike a difference.
Mere legislation on the ‘right to education,’ without in-depth measures to devolve funds and authorities, will never help realizing the goal of free, compulsory and quality education for all. On the budgetary count, at least 4% of the GDP must be allocated to education with a commitment to raise it to 6% within the next 5 years.
Subsidies and special programmes and provisions for education in Rajanpur need to be developed. Collaboration and synergy at all levels is required to achieve the cherished goals of EFA, MDGs and others. The district-specific development and implementation plan with the corresponding budgetary discretion is necessary. DCO’s authority over the education needs to be severed. Politically elected Local Government should replace the centrally driven district administration. To remove MPAs’ influence and eliminate discrepancies, Planning & Development and Education Department be entitled to plan and get new schools constructed.
With the provision of missing facilities and educational aids, adequate teaching and learning environment need to be created. The District Education Officials should preferably be recruited through a specifically designed Public Service Commission to appoint knowledgeable and skilled education managers. Singular and devolved reporting lines should be devised to improve performance and efficiency. Head teachers authority need to be enhanced to improve educational environment at schools.
Unfortunately, the schools of tribal, semi-tribal and far-flung rural areas are still in a decadent state calling for urgent government and non-government attention. The good thing is that the Education Department has succeeded taking back the possession of several schools from local waderas and made them functional. Almost all teachers, department officials and general public agrees that quality of education, enrollment and schools conditions has gradually improving but still there is a lot that needs to be done. Needs outpace fulfillment and the respective government needs to catch up.
Under-prioritizing the required budgetary allocation and other necessary measures, the Punjab province, with most of its districts, is very likely to miss the MDGs Goals set to be achieved by 2015. Projecting the present situation to the next three years, it has rather already missed the targets. This includes 88% literacy at least and ideally 100% by the end of 2015, EFA and adult literacy as agreed at WEC 2000. A high portion of education budget is spent on recurrent heads, mainly on salaries and utilities in contrast to the meager amount provided to improve the quality of education, basic facilities, teacher’s training, curriculum development and monitoring etc. More than 80% of the district Rajanpur’s education budget is consumed by salaries alone. What is then left out for repair, maintenance and for the provision of other facilities?
The District Education Department (Rajanpur), like other districts, has no authority in developing or suggesting the required budget in various heads. Budget formulation and disbursement authority lies with the provincial government. At the district level, DCO is the budget holder of education as well as several other sectors.
Budget is never sought from those, who are familiar with the overall picture of education in the district and its needs and preferences. Crumbs awarded to schools from MPA Funds are politically motivated and chronically insufficient to construct new schools or address missing facilities. “Devolving it from Punjab Government, district education budget needs to be transferred to EDO-Education office. ‘In coordination with EDO-Finance, the department can properly provide missing facilities, do the maintenance & repair work, construct new schools and fulfill other needs,” stresses PTI’s district Rajanpur’s president, Farooq A. Buzdar. In the absence of democratically elected Local Government, devolved planning and budgeting cannot not be materialized.
Note: The Article has been compiled by collecting excerpts from the Author’s research study, Putting Education on Political Agenda: A Case of Rajanpur District. The study was sponsored by FDO and DAI’s Ilm Ka Vote
| Amjad Nazeer is policy analyst, development practitioner and human rights promoter. |
