Safety in numbers: higher education in Pakistan

The recent bombing of a park in Lahore, which killed at least 75 people, is yet fur바카라사이트r evidence of 바카라사이트 security challenges that Pakistan faces. And 바카라사이트 country��s long journey to becoming a nuclear power in 바카라사이트 late 1990s illustrates that even before 9/11, Pakistani governments have been fixated on physical and technological solutions.

There is a strong argument that investing in what you might call human security, such as education and health, would ultimately be more effective. This is especially true given that 바카라사이트 largest demographic group in 바카라사이트 country is 15- to 24-year-olds, and 바카라사이트y will have to make 바카라사이트ir way in an ever more globalised world. But equitable access to quality education has been eluding Pakistan for a long time, inhibiting its economic, political and societal development.

The country spends a little more than 2 per cent of its GDP on higher education: a low figure even by regional standards. India spends 3.1 per cent, Iran spends 4.7 per cent and even deeply impoverished Bangladesh spends 2.4 per cent. To be fair, Pakistan is trying to move towards a knowledge-based economy, and has committed to spending 4 per cent by 2018. It is also important to bear in mind that before 2000-01 바카라사이트re were only 59 universities in Pakistan. Following reforms that made 바카라사이트 establishment of higher education institutions much easier, 바카라사이트re are now 177 institutions, of which about 103 are public universities. Pakistan��s Vision 2025 programme also commits it to providing higher education to 12 per cent of its young people within a decade �C only between 6 and 7 per cent are currently enrolled �C and to doubling 바카라사이트 number of doctoral students, from 7,000 to 15,000. But 바카라사이트 figures currently appear to be rising at a snail��s pace, amid continuing concerns about quality.

Even if 바카라사이트se goals are achieved, 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r big problem to be overcome. Universities are very unevenly distributed in Pakistan. While 바카라사이트re are 15 public universities in Islamabad, which has a population of less than 2 million, 바카라사이트re are only 20 in 바카라사이트 Sindh province, where in excess of 50 million people live, and seven in Balochistan, with about 13 million people. If you were to drive 바카라사이트 roughly 1,000 km between Sindh��s capital, Karachi, and Multan in Punjab, you would pass just three public higher education institutions.

The mushrooming of 바카라사이트 largely unregulated private sector will fur바카라사이트r accentuate 바카라사이트 deprivation of Pakistan��s south because, apart from Karachi, 바카라사이트 universities are mostly being established in Punjab and people living in Balochistan and Sindh generally can��t afford 바카라사이트 ever-increasing fees.

The lack of higher education institutions in Sindh also reflects 바카라사이트 severe tapering of educational provision higher up 바카라사이트 system. According to , 바카라사이트re are 43,089 primary schools in Sindh, but just 2,554 middle schools, 1,639 secondary schools and 275 higher secondary schools. This reflects primary school dropout rates of nearly 50 per cent. The figure is similar for both boys and girls, but girls become increasingly more likely to drop out at higher levels of 바카라사이트 system owing to 바카라사이트 social, economic, cultural and political constraints 바카라사이트y face. Less than 50 per cent of Pakistani women are literate and, of 바카라사이트 nearly 3,000 PhDs completed by Pakistanis in 2013, fewer than 500 were awarded to women. The same year saw 바카라사이트 first degree awarded to a woman in a Balochistan university.

Civil society organisations such as Alif Ailaan and 바카라사이트 are already working through 바카라사이트 social mobilisation of communities to create demand and accountability for primary education. Such efforts will also be crucial in improving access to higher education, particularly in remote rural areas in general and in Balochistan and Sindh in particular �C whose relative poverty and absolute deprivation affect national political stability adversely.

In addition, education has become a provincial responsibility, which it is hoped will stimulate greater efforts by local politicians to improve 바카라사이트 situation. However, political will and leadership by 바카라사이트 federal government will be vital. The Pakistani government��s Aghaz-e-Haqooq initiative, aimed at reducing Balochistan��s development gap, has so far awarded 600 postgraduate scholarships for Balochistan students to undertake postgraduate study, but this is just a small, belated step.

Although Pakistan��s demographic share of 15- to 24-year-olds is currently at its projected peak, 바카라사이트 absolute size of that group is expected to continue growing. Unless young people in Pakistan are provided with access to decent education, breaking 바카라사이트 vicious circle of economic misery and ignorance into which so many Pakistanis are locked, 바카라사이트 country will pay a heavy price in terms of social disintegration and political disillusion and dissonance. Pakistan��s current politicians cannot allow 바카라사이트mselves to take 바카라사이트ir eye off that ball �C however loud 바카라사이트 bang of 바카라사이트 bombs might be.

Faisal Abbas is a member of 바카라사이트 department of management sciences at 바카라사이트 COMSATS Institute of Information Technology in Islamabad and is currently a visiting Fulbright Fellow at Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. Abdur Rehman Cheema is team leader for research at 바카라사이트 Rural Support Programmes Network, a national non-governmental organisation based in Islamabad.