Schools Dropout – A persisting challenge

MULTAN, Oct 13 (APP): Persisting political turmoil and uncertainty leaves future of millions of students in shambles with education remaining the least priority area of respective previous governments.
Economic hardships, an outdated education system and the widening gap between education and employment opportunities are the multiplying components further aggravating this situation.
According to an official report of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), country’s students’ dropout figures rises to millions as situation is particularly dire for children aged 8 to 15 where dropout rates continue to rise.
Therefore, without immediate intervention, this situation will not only deprive millions of children of a brighter future but also hinder the country’s overall development.
Iqbal Watto, Principal of a local prominent educational institute in South Punjab sees poverty as a major issue behind this phenomenon. “Many parents simply cannot afford to bear educational expenses for their children. For scores of families struggling to feed their children, education becomes a distant priority.”
Mentioning to shortcomings of traditional education system, Wattoo said our system was not aligned with modern trends and fails to prepare students for local and contemporary international job markets.
“Our education system doesn’t provide economic returns. Even medical graduates, like MBBS doctors, are struggling to find jobs in public sector,” he remarked. “Thousands remain unemployed even after getting higher education that discourages families from spending on education of their children.”
Therefore, many families take out their children from schools at early age and get them trained in traditional traits by attaching them with conventional mechanics, mesons, electricians’ or the growing labor class. Many see more opportunities in business and shift their children to trade or entrepreneurial ventures even after matriculation.
“We often go by cosmetic and temporary initiatives in spite of long term planning that creates demand and supply gaps in different areas,” Watto said as he mentioned to previous saturation in medical and engineering professions.
“Now as IT sector emerges as a lucrative sector, admissions in Computer Sciences increased manifolds. Therefore, we need a strategy for students who would complete their education in next five to ten years,” he suggested.
Educationist Munir Akbar also pointed out economic hardship as a significant driver for dropping out saying that in regions like South Punjab struck by abject poverty, parents hardly meet ends and are unable to bear education expenses. “Therefore, they send children to work instead of school, trapping them in a cycle of illiteracy and economic struggle.”
Besides generating economic activity to enhance poor’s earning, Munir also sees female education as of pivotal importance. “If mothers are uneducated, they would be unable to create a learning environment for their children.”
He regretted commercialization of education and said, “we have made this missionary profession a business with many business tycoons jumping into it with majority of them purely for financial gains.”
As a result, education becomes more expensive exerting extra burden on middle and lower-middle classes, he said. “Moreover, education in our society is more linked to financial success, diminishing its broader intellectual and societal purpose.”
Educationists like Kamran Sial and Shoukat Hayat see cultural norms and communication gap between teachers and parents as reasons behind rising dropout ratio.
Amidst all their views and comments what matters much is a multi-pronged strategy and incentives to educate our children. Since, the government schools can provide cheaper education, competence of teaching staff and the curricula being taught there matters much.
Just a couple of decades back, there were only the government schools producing brilliant educationists, judges, doctors, engineers, bureaucrats, politicians and much more. But, the situation continued deteriorating and today there are a few known good public sector institutions as private sector has overshadowed the public sector despite authorities’ claims of taking measures to improve the situation.
“We have initiated programs to enhance enrollment under ‘Zero Out of School Children’ project,” informed Fuad Hashim Rabbani, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) at South Punjab Secretariat.
“We have launched it as a pilot project in Layyah district where 6,000 out-of-school children were successfully traced,” he said. “Plans are now being implemented for their education by involving schools, local authorities and NGOs.”
“We’re focusing on education despite many challenges,” Rabbani said. “Our goal is to ensure that every child has access to education and we are mobilizing resources to bring these children back into system.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary Schools South Punjab, Khawaja Mazhar ul Haq has emphasized to raising societal awareness about benefits of education. “Although economic pressures are there. But, we can address this issue by introducing short technical courses to equip our youth for an early earning.”
He said such skills taught to today’s student would pave way for better education of their children. “If not today, let it be tomorrow. Let us lay foundation for a brighter future of coming generations.”
Mazhar informed that the Punjab government is planning to introduce “Middle-Tech” and “Matric-Tech” programs, to enhance enrollment by integrating technical skills with traditional education.
In prevailing situation, besides other measures, connecting traditional education with practical skills can enhance enrollment, making education relevant and beneficial for students and equipping them with expertise for an early earning for their families.
APP/atf/maz (APP Feature Service)