ENROLMENT RATIOS
These numbers basically reiterate our concerns in the above section. We can see that out of 100 children in Pakistan 77 are enrolled at primary level but only 60 end up finishing this level of education. Out of them only 49 transition to the lower secondary level. The numbers don’t tell us how many actually pass high school. The number going to college and then university level is very small. And as we said earlier, the quality of education remains an unchartered territory that is not even being measure or tracked.
Another conclusion from these stats is the glaring difference between various regions of the country. There is a tendency to blame cultural and social restrictions for this but that is not the whole story. We believe this is a logical outcome of the uneven development between rural and urban areas as well as various provinces and districts. Gender disparity is obvious at all levels. We believe that there has been no consistent and concerted effort being made to overcome these gaps.
Institution Stats:
These numbers tell us about another aspect of education in Pakistan. In the past few decades the onslaught of neoliberal philosophy leading to privatization of everything, did not spare education as well. About one third of all institutions are private now.
This has impacted education in many ways. Since elite and ruling mafia can afford the private sector, they have lost interests in improving the public-sector education.
Quality education is out of each of the masses. Leaving them no hope for a better future. This is also evident from the fact that as we move up the ladder percentage of private school increases. This means poorer sections of population do not see any value of education to their lives and drop out. Those who can manage, end up sending their children to private schools due to dismal quality of education in public sector.
The infrastructure of public schools is pathetic, especially at lower levels. This is when the child is first introduced to formal education and that is when the love of learning is supposed to be instilled in them. Dilapidated schools are no place to instill that. Add the absent teachers and ancient method pf teaching and it is a recipe for failure.
- Total number of institutions: 303,446 with 47,491,260 students
- Public institutions 191,065 with 27.69 million students
- Private institutions 112,381 with 19,8 million students
- Thus 37% private institutions serving 42% students
- Out of total of 145,829 primary schools 86% are public while 14% are private
- Out of total primary school students of 18.75 million 61% attend public and 39% private schools
- At higher secondary level 34% students attend private and 66% public schools. At degree college level it is 89% public and 11% private.
- There are 163 universities, public 56% and private 44% with total enrolment of 1.355 million students.
- Private schools are more expensive, with smaller classes, strict admission criteria and better quality of education.
- Electricity is available in 53% schools at primary level, 76% at middle, 91% at high and 97% of higher secondary levels.
- Drinking water is available in 67% schools at primary level, 82% at middle level, 92% of secondary level and 96% of higher secondary level.
- Toilets are available in 67% of schools at primary level, 85% of middle level, 93% of secondary level and 97% of higher secondary level
- Boundary wall is present in 71% of primary schools, 87% of middle, 91% of secondary and 95% of higher secondary levels.
- There are significant number of primary schools which have only one teacher. In Punjab, out of 53,935 schools 73% are primary and 17% have only one teacher. In Sindh there are 47,394 schools with 91% primary and 45% have only one teacher. In KPK out of 28,427 schools 83% are primary with 21% with one teacher only. In Baluchistan out of 12,357 schools 85% are primary and 58% have only one teacher.
