Sustainable Development Goal 4 SDG-4 in the Context of Pakistan: SDG-4 Opportunities and Challenges for Pakistan
SDG-4 in the Pakistani Context: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan
Background
Challenges:
1. Access to Education: Despite progress, Pakistan faces disparities in access to education, particularly in rural areas. Limited infrastructure and economic constraints hinder the ability of many children, especially girls, to attend school. Pakistan is one of the leading countries in the world where around 23 million children are out of school.
Whereas Sindh, one of the four provinces of Pakistan, has the highest number of out-of-school children. At the moment, there are around 7.5 million children in Sindh who are out of school due to multiple reasons. However, poverty and socioeconomic inequality are among the main reasons as far as out-of-school children in Sindh are concerned.
2. Quality of Education: While enrollment rates have improved in some regions of Pakistan, the quality of education still remains a concern. Outdated curricula, inadequately trained teachers, and a lack of educational resources contribute to a subpar learning experience. Pakistan spends a very meagre amount of only 2% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Whereas, advanced countries of the world spend around 8% to 10% of their total GDP.
Another major factor in the low-quality education system in Pakistan is the massive corruption, especially in Sindh province. Selection of incompetent officials, purchasing of low-quality material, lack of accountability, ignorance of the federal and provincial governments, and an outdated audit system are some of the common reasons that cause massive corruption and low-quality education.
3. Gender Disparities: Gender inequality persists, with girls often facing cultural and societal barriers to education. SDG-4 emphasises gender equality in education, and Pakistan must address these deep-rooted biases for meaningful progress.
Girls have very limited opportunities as far as the provision of the quality education is concerned. There are multiple factors, including a lack of separate schools for girls, poverty, tribal beliefs, and cultural values, that hinder equal access to education for girls.
Girls living inside rural areas of Pakistan, particularly Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) are still being deprived of the basic right of education. Similarly, there are a few universities for girls in Pakistan.
4. Infrastructure and Facilities: Insufficient school infrastructure, including a lack of proper classrooms, sanitation facilities, and safe learning environments, hampers the overall educational experience and contributes to dropout rates. In rural areas of Pakistan, around 90% to 95% schools lack basic facilities, including a lack of proper infrastructure.
5. Massive Level Corruption: Every year, Pakistan seeks billions of rupees of loans and aid from international organisations, including the IMF, UNO, ADB, and US Aid. The reason behind getting this aid and loan is due to the meagre 2% budget allocation of the total GDP. However, this huge amount of money, instead of being spent on education, goes into the deep pockets of the corrupt bureaucrats and ministers.
6. Ineffective Assessment & Grading System: Pakistan, particularly Sindh province, has an ineffective assessment and corrupt grading system. It is an open secret that the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) in Sindh sell grades and marks to influential candidates. Unfortunately, this practice is also observed in many public and private sector universities where degrees are being awarded to ineligible and incompetent graduates if they offer bribes or use political influence.
In Sindh, there are around 24000 primary-level schools which are either closed or have only a single classroom. Moreover, most of the rural area schools are single-teacher schools.
Additionally, most of the countryside schools across Pakistan lack electricity, furniture, drinking water, toilets, books, internet, budget, and transportation facilities.
Opportunities:
1. Government Initiatives: The Pakistani government has initiated programs to enhance education accessibility and quality. Continued commitment and effective implementation of these initiatives can contribute significantly to achieving SDG-4.
Some international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including UNICEF, US-Aid, British Council, Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and British Council, they are supporting Pakistan in achieving sustainable development, particularly SDG-4.
2. Technology Integration: Leveraging technology for education can bridge gaps, especially in remote areas. E-learning platforms and digital resources can supplement traditional teaching methods and improve overall learning outcomes.
Government of Pakistan can take advantage of digital learning opportunities by providing access to the internet and electricity in the remote areas.
3. Community Involvement: Engaging local communities is crucial for overcoming cultural barriers and promoting education. Empowering communities to value and actively participate in educational initiatives can foster a more inclusive and sustainable approach.
Pakistan can achieve better results, including improving the literacy ratio and the ratio of children dropping out of school, by involving all the local stakeholders. In this regard, the education ministry needs to involve and engage local communities in the decision-making process.
Drawing rooms approach in policy making will never have any fruitful results until and unless local stakeholders, including teachers, parents, students, and community members, are involved at decision-making levels.
4. International Collaboration: Collaboration with international organisations and sharing best practices can offer valuable insights and resources to strengthen education systems in Pakistan.
Pakistan need to pay heed to local level research, including realising the 21st century trends in education. There are ample opportunities for Pakistan to bring positive reforms in the educational sector by collaborating with international organisations that are already working in different parts of the country.
The only thing that Pakistan requires in this regard is to focus on the rural areas where illiteracy and the out-of-school children ratio are very high.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, while Pakistan faces challenges in achieving SDG-4, there are opportunities for improvement through effective governance, technological integration, community involvement, and international collaboration. Addressing these issues is essential for ensuring that all children in Pakistan have access to quality education, aligning with the broader global commitment to sustainable development.
Sustainable development without focusing the future generations would not be possible for Pakistan, especially when the 23 million children are deprived of the access to quality education.
Comments