Illiteracy

·         Literacy is traditionally understood as the ability to read and write. The term's meaning has been expanded to include the ability to use language, numbers, images and other means to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture. The concept of literacy is expanding in OECD countries to include skills to access knowledge through technology and ability to assess complex contexts.

·         Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of written or printed text. The key to all literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text. Reading development involves a range of complex language underpinnings including awareness of speech sounds (phonology), spelling patterns (orthography), word meaning (semantics), grammar (syntax) and patterns of word formation (morphology), all of which provide a necessary platform for reading fluency and comprehension. Once these skills are acquired, the reader can attain full language literacy, which includes the abilities to apply to printed material critical analysis, inference and synthesis; to write with accuracy and coherence; and to use information and insights from text as the basis for informed decisions and creative thought. The inability to do so is called

Illiteracy or analphabetism.

Literacy in Asia

·        Country	·        Adult Literacy Rate	·        Youth Literacy Rate 15-24 age
·        India	·        74.04% (2011)	·        89.6% (2015)
·        Nepal	·        67.5% (2007)	·        89.9% (2015)
·        Pakistan	·        65.2% (2015)	·        75.6% (2015)
·        Bangladesh	·        71.1 (2013)	·        83.2% (2015)

·        In Pakistan, the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) aims to bring literacy to adults, especially women. ISLAMABAD - UNESCO Islamabad Director Kozue Kay Nagata has said, “Illiteracy in Pakistan has fallen over two decades, thanks to the government and people of Pakistan for their efforts working toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals”. “Today, 70 percent of Pakistani youths can read and write. In 20 years, illiterate population has been reduced significantly”, she said while speaking at a function held in connection with International Literacy Day.

·        However, she also emphasized on the need to do more to improve literacy in the country and said, “The proportion of population in Pakistan lacking basic reading and writing is too high. This is a serious obstacle for individual fulfillment, to the development of societies, and to mutual understanding between peoples.” Referring to the recent national survey carried out by the Ministry of Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education with support of UNESCO, UNICEF, and provincial and areas departments of education, Nagata pointed out that, in Pakistan, although primary school survival rate is 70 percent, gender gap still exists with only 68 percent of girls’ survival rate compared to 71 percent for boys. Specifically in the case of Punjab, she said, primary school survival rate today is better with 76 percent, but not without a gender gap of 8 percent points with 72 percent girls’ survival rate compared to 80 percent for boys. She also pointed out that average per student spending in primary level (age 5-9) was better in Punjab: Rs 6,998, compared to the national average. In Balochistan, although almost the same amount (Rs 6,985) as in Punjab is spent per child, the primary school survival rate is only 53 percent. Girls’ survival rate is slightly better with 54 percent than that of boys which is 52 percent.

 ILLITERACY SCENARIO IN PAKISTAN:

that education expenditure will be increased to 7% of GDP, an idea that was first suggested by the Punjab government.

The author of an article, which reviews the history of education spending in Pakistan since 1972, argues that this policy target raises a fundamental question: What extraordinary things are going to happen that would enable Pakistan to achieve within six years what it has been unable to lay a hand on in the past six decades? The policy document is blank on this question and does not discuss the assumptions that form the basis of this target. Calculations of the author show that during the past 37 years, the highest public expenditure on education was 2.80 percent of GDP in 1987-88. Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was actually reduced in 16 years and maintained in 5 years between 1972–73 and 2008-09. Thus, out of total 37 years since 1972, public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP either decreased or remained stagnant for 21 years. The author argues if linear trend were maintained since 1972, Pakistan could have touched 4 percent of GDP well before 2015. However, it is unlikely to happen because the levels of spending have had remained significantly unpredictable and unsteady in the past. Given this disappointing trajectory, increasing public expenditure on education to 7 percent of GDP would be nothing less than a miracle but it is not going to be of godly nature. Instead, it is going to be the one of political nature because it has to be "invented" by those who are at the helm of affairs. The author suggests that little success can be made unless Pakistan adopts an "unconventional" approach to education. That is to say, education sector should be treated as a special sector by immunizing budgetary allocations for it from fiscal stresses and political and economic instabilities. Allocations for education should not be affected by squeezed fiscal space or surge in military expenditure or debts. At the same time, there is a need to debate others options about how Pakistan can "invent" the miracle of raising education expenditure to 7 percent of GDP by 2015.^[24]

The picture of illiteracy in Pakistan is grim. Although successive governments have announced various programmes to promote literacy, especially among women, but they have been unable to translate their words into actions because of various political, social and cultural obstacles. Access to basic education is the right of every individual. Education is the most important instrument in enhancing human capabilities, and in achieving the desired objectives of economic development. Education enables individuals to make informed choices, broaden their horizons and opportunities and to have a voice in public decision-making. It is one of the most important factors that act as a counterweight to social and economic mobility imposed by cultural and historical biases. Education is a vehicle of nation building through which a nation’s shared interpretation of history and cultural values are reproduced across generations. At the country level, education means strong economic growth due to productive and skilled labor force. At the individual level, education is strongly correlated to higher returns in earning and a more informed and aware existence. The emerging global scenario offers immense opportunities and challenges, and only those nations can benefit from it, which have acquired the required knowledge base and skills.

There are 163,000 primary schools in Pakistan, of which merely 40,000 cater to girls. According to UNICEF, 17.6 per cent of Pakistani children are working and supporting their families.

Punjab

Having over 56% of countries population makes Punjab one of the most populous provinces of Pakistan. It consists of many important cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Multan, Sialkot and so on. Over 3.8 million illiterate people currently reside in Punjab. This means that millions of people over the age of 15 cannot read or write in any language.

There are only six districts in Punjab that have above 70pc literacy rate. They are Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Gujrat. Most of the improvements have been seen at the primary level. Still a lot of work needs to be done in order to bring a bigger change.

Sindh

Known for having a population of over 25 million people, Sindh can be called the most populated province of Pakistan. As far as its literacy rates are concerned, they are below 50 percent in rural areas. Karachi is leading the race and the rest are not even on the second or third position. Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Larkana and Jamshoro are a few other cities that can see a reasonable amount of literacy rate. On the whole, many children are deprived of education due to which a greater percentage of child labor can also be witnessed.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Due to increasing security threats, families here are always concerned about sending children to schools. According to a recent report, the overall literacy rate in this province is 50%. Peshawar is among the most densely populated cities of KPK and is known for having a number of private and public schools. Some of the other major cities such as Mansehra, Mardana and Mingora are still deprived of a proper educational system.

Balochistan

For being an arid desert and a mountainous region, this province has always had hardships in building school based amenities. Just over one-quarter (28%) of the population 10 years and over is literate, with males 39% and females 16%. The barren land plays the role of a barrier in most of the cities resulting in a very poor literacy rate.

It is a challenge for Pakistan to improve its literacy rate and the situation demands that the government rethink the whole issue of literacy. Children are among the most valuable assets to any country and they need to be provided with proper education no matter what circumstances. Education works as a foundation for any child, it needs to be strong and firm in order to change the face of Pakistan.

CAUSES OF ILLITERACY IN PAKISTAN:
1) Half-hearted planning and management of literacy and continuing education.
2) Limited budget.
3) Lack of reliable statistics and research researchers.
4) Weak community participation.
5) Lack of multimedia material.
6) Lack of special skilled textbook writers.
7) Poor follow up of programmes.
8) In-service teachers do not take such work seriously.
9) Dependence on foreign aid.
10) Dropout rate is high.
11) Over-crowded classrooms.
12) Panacea of private sector.
13) Outdated curriculum.
14) Problems of higher education; brain drain etc.
15) Corruption.
16) Rote learning.
17) Unfair examinations.
18) Lack of adequate facilities such as clean water, electricity etc. in the rural schools.

EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY:
1) Over-population.
2) Low-GDP and per capita income.
3) Increase unskilled labour.
4) Infant mortality and maternal mortality.
5) Political instability.
6) Poor use of natural resources.
7) Heavy international debts.
8) Child labour.
9) Poor international image.
10) Low per acre agriculture yield.
11) Halting industrial growth and less trade activities.