Pakistan Rethinking Governance in Pakistan

[Fatman17]

*EDITORIAL:* It has been quite something to watch a whisper become, in a matter of weeks, the state’s new “number one priority”. The trigger was the interior minister’s surprising admission at the Pakistan Economic Summit in late July that the present system had “collapsed”, and that new provinces and administrative reform were therefore urgently needed.

The political earthquake was immediate. For the PPP, already fuming over the AJK election, it was an insult added to injury. The president’s abrupt departure for London has since fed a good deal of speculation. Some believe that he went to press his allies in government to drop the idea altogether. Others have pointed out that his exit echoes another, years ago, when the PPP was being asked to make choices it considered political suicide. What can be said with certainty, however, is that an impasse has been reached.

*Read more:* www.dawn.com/news/2028297

 

[Fatman17]

Beyond speeches

Bold claims hide the reality of education spending.

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This year’s budgets offer an uneven answer. Punjab and Sindh are allocating fewer funds than last year, even before the inflation adjustment. Balochistan has increased its education allocation, but its share of the overall budget has fallen. The federation’s allocation shows an increase but education still receives less than 1pc of the total federal expenditure. Until budget statements show sustained increases in education’s share, allocations that retain their value against inflation and transparent spending on girls and the most excluded children, applause during budget speeches will remain louder than the commitment claimed.

PS:
Approximately 35% to 39% of school-age children aged 5 to 16 are out of school in Pakistan, totaling an estimated 25.1 to 26.2 million children according to UNICEF Pakistan. Pakistan currently has the second-highest number of out-of-school children in the world. [1]

Provincial Breakdown
The percentage of children out of school varies widely by region:

• • Balochistan: 69% (approx. 3.5 million children)
  • Sindh: 44% (approx. 7.4 million children)
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 34% (approx. 4.5 million children)
  • Punjab: 27% (approx. 9.7 million children, the largest absolute number)
  • Islamabad Capital Territory: 15% (approx. 0.09 million children) [1]

Gender and Age Factors

• • Girls: Girls make up about 53% to 62% of all out-of-school children nationwide.
  • Dropouts: Dropout rates are highest at the higher secondary and primary transition levels, driven by poverty, lack of school infrastructure, and social norms. [1]