Children’s Education in Pakistan

April 20, 2021 by usidhr.org

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

5 min read

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The significance of children receiving primary education is extremely underrated. In order for young people to move forwards in their development, it is vital they attend school. However, there are currently more than 68 million children worldwide not enrolled in school. Children up to age 6 experience important phases of their psychological development and socialization, most of which they get from school (Seifert & Sutton, 2018).

Currently, Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children, estimated at 22.8 million between 5 and 16 (UNICEF). The average percentage of those who have a general education is 54%, of this, 66.25% is male and 41.7% are female (Federal Ministry of Education, 2019) . Additionally, boys outnumber girls at all stages of education (Hunter, 2020) with girls missing out on education due factors including, child marriage, child labour, and gender discrimination (Human Rights Watch, 2019). There a lots of local inequalities amongst communities in Pakistan. As mentioned, there is a disparity in the percentage of boys and girls who get access to education, such disparities continue across different socioeconomic backgrounds also. Families in rural areas often cannot afford the necessary resources to send their children to school (Hunter, 2020).

With such a large population, if Pakistan were to focus on providing education and training programs for youth, they could significantly push the modernisation of the country forwards (Hunter, 2020). The government of Pakistan is working to significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children, focusing more specifically on Early Childhood Education (UNICEF). The education system has undergone reform, with a standard education now being free and compulsory to all children (Human Rights Watch, 2018).

What Can We Do?

Here at USIDHR we have organized our own charitable cause “A Chance to Study”. In this venture, we are providing resources to children who cannot afford to attend school, in hopes that this will enable them to complete their education, and also, encourage them to remain in school. Everyone has a right to education, no matter where you are born, your gender, your socioeconomic status, or any other criteria – you have the right to a quality education. If you wish to join us in our mission to decrease the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan, then please, donate to our cause.

Reference list:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/educationalpsychology/chapter/why-development-matters/

https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/education#:~:text=Currently%2C%20Pakistan%20has%20the%20world’s,population%20in%20this%20age%20group.

http://www.mofept.gov.pk/Publications

https://wenr.wes.org/2020/02/education-in-pakistan

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/pakistan#

https://wenr.wes.org/2020/02/education-in-pakistan

https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/11/12/shall-i-feed-my-daughter-or-educate-her/barriers-girls-education-pakistan

Muhammad Asad

Regional Director for Pakistan

Who is USIDHR?

US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Washington, DC. Its main purpose is to advance education for all. Through its EduforEveryChild program, USIDHR helps kids at-risk of poverty go to school by supporting their education for an entire year. So far, they have helped hundreds of kids go to school by awarding them the Edu-box containing school supplies, materials and necessaries to go to school. USIDHR also provides online courses and training on human rights, human trafficking, diplomatic protocol and etiquette, and business consulting. Other programs include Let Her Lead, an initiative aimed at empowering young women through education and training, and Religious Pluralism for promoting religious freedom for all.