“It is the prime duty of men and women to acquire education”.

Causes Of Women Illiteracy In Pakistan

The first cause of women illiteracy is the increase in population, which is playing a negative role in this deprivation of female education. A family having more number of children and less income will prefer to educate the boys of the family, while the girls will be given embroidery or sewing skills. Secondly, there is also a misconception that females merely have to manage a home after being married where as males have to earn so education matters only for males but not for females. Thirdly, we have observed that traditionally, women are considered as the asset of males of the family. So these males are responsible for taking decisions of their lives. In most cases, males donot allow their sisters or daughters to goto schools or universities. Additionally, some families do not like their daughters to study in co-education institutes thus depriving them of higher education. Fourthly, the social setup is a male dominated one. Girls cannot move freely thus any male of the family has to take responsibility of her care. This sometimes seems difficult to them. There is also a sharp division between female oriented work and male oriented work. Females are not allowed to work in all spheres of life therefore their education is not considered valuable. Fifthly, the number of schools and colleges for females are very less. Girls have to travel a long distance to reach the schools or colleges, for this reason most of the parents prefer to give them religious education. Lastly, every government talks about the importance of female education but none of them has given attention to it. In Multan the plan of separate women university and women medical college was announced yet these plans have not seen the light of the day.

Media brought awareness to the people thus bringing female fighter pilots in PAF and projecting women in every sphere of life. Islam does not restrict education to females. Islam is a flexible religion and it allows equal opportunities of education to both sexes. The need is to interpret it in its real essence. Last but not the least, no society can progress by restricting more than half of its population in the abyss of ignorance and a maze of undue limits. Nepolean once said about the role of mothers in building process of a nation that,

“Give me the best mothers, I will give you the best nation.”

“The state of Pakistan shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period.”

In Human development Report Pakistan is placed at 136th position for having just 49.9% educated populace. The primary completion rate in Pakistan, given by Date Center of  UNESCO, is 33.8% in females and 47.18% in males, which shows that people in the 6th largest country of the world are unable to get the basic education. Following are the problems of education in Pakistan. Firstly, the educational system of Pakistan is based on unequal lines. Medium of education is different in both, public and private sector. This create a sort of disparity among people, dividing them into two segments. Secondly, regional disparity is also a major cause. The schools in Balochistan(The Largest Provice Of Pakistan By Area) are not that much groomed as that of Punjab (The Largest Provice Of Pakistan By Population). In FATA, the literacy rate is deplorable constituting 29.5% in males and 3% in females. Thirdly, the ratio of gender discrimination is a cause which is  projecting the primary school ratio of boys & girls which is 10:4 respectively. For the last few years there has been an increase in the growth of private schools. That not only harms the quality of education but create a gap among haves and have nots. Fourthly, the lack of technical education is a biggest flaw in the educational policy that has never been focused before. Therefore, less technical people means less . Fifthly, the allocation of funds for education are very low. It is only 1.5 to 2.0 percent of the total GDP. It should be around 7% of the total GDP. Sixthly, the teachers in government schools are not well trained. People who donot get job in any other sector, they try their luck in educational system. They are not professionally trained teachers so they are unable to train a nation. Finally, Poverty is also another factor that restrict the parents to send their children to public or private schools. So, they prefer to send their children to madressahs where education is totally free.

Recently, minister of education announced a new Education policy for that next 10 years. The interesting thing is that the previous educational policy from 1998 to 2010 is still not expired. Although it is projected to give new plans and to make more promises with the nation. It is said in this policy that all the public schools will be raised upto the level of private schools. No plan of action have been discussed, yet a notice is issued to private schools to induct government course in 5th and 8th class and these classes will bound to take board exams. This disturbed the students of private sector also.

Solutions for Educational System: Estimating the value of education, the Government should take solid steps on this issue. Implementation instead of projecting policies, should be focused on. Allocation of funds should be made easy from provinces to districts and then to educational institutes. Workshops must be arranged for teachers. Foreign states are using LSS system. This should be inducted in Pakistani schools to improve the hidden qualities of children. Technical education must be given to all the classes. The education board of Punjab have projected a plan to give tech- education to the children of industrial workers. Promotion of the primary education is the need of time. Teachers, professors and educationists should be consulted while devising any plan, syllabus or policy. The state seems to give up her responsibility and totally relying on private sector. The need of time is to bring education in its original form to masses. Burdening a students with so much books will not work as he will not understand what the world is going to do next moment. Education is the only cure of the destability in the state and can bring revolution through evolution, by eradicating the social evils. This is how to remove illiteracy in Pakistan.