UK Report reveals deficiencies in Pakistan’s education system

Celina Ali

Islamabad: A comprehensive report by the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has highlighted critical issues in the country’s education system.

The findings reveal that all 134 districts, barring Islamabad, are lagging on multiple indicators, such as learning outcomes and public financing.

The District Education Performance Index Report 2023, released by the Planning Commission, sheds light on a severe human resource crisis. The report indicates that numerous individuals are descending into the job market with subpar educational qualifications, a concern deemed more pressing than the ongoing economic crisis. The analysis categorizes all districts as medium or low-performing, attributing the challenges to poor governance, substandard learning outcomes, and insufficient budget allocations.

It was noted that none of Pakistan’s districts achieved a high-performance rating in education. Instead, 133 districts are marked as medium to low performing, with an average score of 53.46, signifying a dysfunctional education system.

The report underscores urgent need for addressing educational gaps, particularly in internet connectivity, numeracy, and reading skills, among others. Significant inter-provincial disparities were also noted, with Balochistan and Sindh showing the worst performance.