Pakistan to Declare Four-Year Education Emergency

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The federal government is poised to announce a four-year state of education emergency nationwide, aiming to address the issue of out-of-school children and various other challenges within the sector.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to make the declaration in the near future. Sources indicate that a conference slated for Tuesday, where the announcement was anticipated, has been postponed due to the Prime Minister’s prior commitments.

Pakistan is currently grappling with significant educational challenges, including 26.2 million out-of-school children and a low literacy rate of 62%. Additionally, concerns are raised about the government’s meager spending of 1.7% of GDP on education and disparities in essential facilities such as toilets, water, and boundary walls in schools nationwide.

Last month, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, after being briefed on the situation, expressed his intention to urge the Prime Minister and the federal cabinet to declare a national education emergency.

The impending National Conference on Education Emergency aims to devise strategies and initiatives for ensuring inclusive, quality education for all children. Despite its postponement, the conference underscores Pakistan’s commitment to addressing issues like out-of-school children and learning poverty, with the goal of supporting underperforming districts across the country.

Scheduled to be chaired by the Prime Minister, the event will bring together key stakeholders, including chief ministers, development partners, diplomats, and educationists, to collaborate on solutions. While initially set for April 30, the conference has been delayed by a week due to the Prime Minister’s prior engagement in Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of Education Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani emphasized the government’s commitment to improving the education sector, highlighting collaborative efforts between federal and provincial authorities to enact positive change.