Not only that, the Economic Survey 2013-14 conveniently misses to mention the 2009 National Education Policy (NEP) pledge of allocating 7% of the GDP on education by 2015 it re-sets the target of spending 4% of the GDP on education by 2018 from the existing 2%.
Last year’s Economic Survey had at least mentioned the NEP 2009’s commitment of allocating 7% of GDP to education by 2015. This year the Survey report does not talk of what was committed in 2009.
The 2013-14 Survey report instead reflects on the government’s commitment to gradually increase the allocation to education from the present 2% to 4% of GDP by 2018. It means the federal as well as all the provincial government have terribly failed to do what they had committed and set for the education sector in 2009 National Education Policy.
In the 2012-13 Economic Survey report, the salient features of the NEP were included. Some of which include free and universal education by 2015 and up to class 10 by 2025; allocate 7% of GDP to education by 2015; and increase of literacy up to 86% by 2015. None of these objectives are any more possible but still there is no accountability of any government, minister, official or authority for this serious failure.
Ignoring the past failures, now the present Economic Survey talks about the “Vision 2015 on Education” which at present is in draft stage. The report says, “According to policy guidelines given in
(Draft) Vision 2025 for Pakistan; aims at substantial expansion in access to education as well as making significant improvements in quality education. Pakistan ranks 113th out of 120 countries in the UNESCO’s Education for All Education Development Index. Pakistan’s literacy rate (60) percent lags well behind the country’s neighbours.
According to UNESCO’s Education For All (EFA) Global Monitoring report 2013, Pakistan has almost 5.5 million out-of-school children, the second highest number in the world after Nigeria. There is a high dropout rate at the primary, secondary and tertiary level. Annual expenditure is very low as hardly 2.0 percent of its GDP is spent on education.
A high proportion of this allocation is spent on salaries and other administrative expenses, leaving a small amount for betterment of education. The quality of education is a serious challenge; poorly qualified and untrained teachers, irrelevant curriculum, non-availability of textbooks, shortage of other learning materials, insufficient space due to which learning levels are low and teachers’ absenteeism are the main issues.”
The report promises, “According to (Draft) Vision 2025, development of a society in which every child, youth and adult must have access to quality education without discrimination. Provinces will lead to education development with active support from the federal government. The provincial governments showed their commitment to increase their education budget spending. Curriculum reform and modernised teaching methods will improve the quality of education. Quality of teaching in public schools will be improved by providing capacity building training arrangements; accreditation and certification procedure of the institutions should be standardised and institutionalised. The significance of the curriculum will be improved to reduce the dropout rate and special effort will be made to increase the enrollments of girls by providing special incentives, protection and as well as to reduce dropouts.”
