PESHAWAR, Sep 29 : Carrying prime significance to socioeconomic development of human resources, education empowers women to perform productive role in the country\u2019s development and bring positive social change in society.
\nAs a well-known proverb says, \u201cIf you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a girl, you educate the entire nation\u201d and our constitution also makes early education compulsory for all, female education bears pivotal importance for nation building.
\nBut, despite constitutional provision and efforts by the government, the situation of girls\u2019 education in erstwhile Fata is not very promising with Fata annual education census revealing only 37% girls enrolled at primary schools, dropping significantly to five percent at secondary level. On contrary, 49 percent boys are enrolled at primary school with 17 percent at secondary schools.
\nMultiple factors, ranging from socio-political and economic to religious and culture taboos are contributing to this predicament.
\n\u201cThe foremost impediments for girls attending school in former Fata are cultural. In tribal societies, cultural taboos, high rate of unemployment and poverty discourage girls from education,\u201d said Professor Dr Ibrahim Khan, former Director Elementary and Secondary education KPK.
\n\u201cCommonly girls in these areas are expected to help their mothers in household, take care of elders and help parents in agriculture. Early marriages also hamper their education,\u201d Dr Ibrahim stated.
\nHe admitted that girls\u2019 in erstwhile FATA lag behind in education also due to lack of political interest, law and order situation and militants attacks, shortage of schools and teachers unwillingness to serve there.
\n\u201cAll this had increased girl students\u2019 drop out ratio and now when these areas are part of KPK, the government needs to rebuild damaged schools to bring Out of School Children (OSC) under education net,\u201d Dr Ibrahim said.
\nThe Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) 2021 survey had disclosed the OSC has reached to about 4.9 million in KP including one million in ex Fata. These OSC included about 2.9 million girls aged five to 16 years in settled districts and one million children in merged tribal districts with 74.4% girls and 38.5% boys out of school in the province.
\nThe survey further revealed about 61% children are out-of-school in North Waziristan, 63% in Bajaur, 61% in South Waziristan, 51% each in Mohmand and Khyber and 47% each in Kurram and Orakzai.
\nLikewise, 3.67 million students including 1.38 million boys and 2.38 million girls in settled districts and 1.0067 million students including 0.36 million boys and 0.65 million in merged districts were out of schools.
\n\u201cI left school at primary level after it was damaged by militants and started sewing clothes to financially support my family and education of brothers,\u201d said Razia Bibi (20), a resident of Tehsil Bara in Khyber district. \u201cBut, I expect the KP government would soon rebuild my school, enabling me and other girls to restart studies.\u201d
\nIkhtair Wali, PMLN KP spokesman regretted the provincial government\u2019s failure in timely restoration of education facilities for female students.
\n\u201cAfter merger of erstwhile Fata into KP, the entire responsibility of education and reconstruction of schools shifted to the provincial government,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, the government failed to bring out of school children under education net.\u201d
\nHe said it could have been better if the provincial government had focused on resolving such problems instead of sheer politicking and creating unrest. \u201cInstead of combating illiteracy, strengthening infrastructure and rebuilding damaged schools, the KP Govt was outsourcing public sector schools that would deprive thousands of poor students of free education.\u201d
\nOn the other hand, Sahab Khan, Chief Planning Officer, Education Department said a target of enrolling of three lakh OSC children including girls were set for this month. \u201cAround 300 schools per year were required for enrolment of such students and around 15,667 new schools for admission of fresh students.\u201d
\nHe informed that under Alternate Learning Pathways (ALP) program for old age OSC, over 58,000 older girls have been enrolled at 1692 ALP established with assistance of the government departments and international donors.
\nAssessment tools were developed for ALP classes and early care and education (ECE) program for girl students, focusing on languages, mathematics and social-emotional competencies. Thousands of classrooms have been transformed into modern nurseries across the province including erstwhile Fata while 1600 ECE centers would be set up through GPE funding in next five years.
\nSahab Khan also mentioned to provision of ECE teaching material to girls schools in erstwhile Fata and spending over Rs two billion on provision of furniture to schools besides scholarship disbursed among female students, showing 80pc attendance.
\nStars of KP, Rehamatul Alamin and ETEA merit scholarships had encouraged student\u2019s enrollment as Sahab Khan mentioned to stipend program covering all seven districts and sub-divisions in merged districts besides voucher scheme, female education, incentives under BISP, stipend project for students in 1-12 class and provision of school bags and stationary etc.
\nAlthough these measures are a good omen yet overall political and law and order situation in the province matters much more and the provincial government instead of sheer politicking must also focus these issues to get desired results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR, Sep 29 : Carrying prime significance to socioeconomic development of human resources, education empowers women to perform productive role in the country\u2019s development and bring positive social change in society. As a well-known proverb says, \u201cIf you educate a man, you educate an individual. […]<\/p>\n
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