PESHAWAR, Oct 22 (APP): In a city bustling with business activities and opportunities for skillful hands, Adil Shah (20) transformed his life through technical education after stepping into an auto repair market and becoming a skilled mechanic.
After leaving school post-matriculation due to financial hardships in 2020, the motivated Adil found his calling in the mechanics trade, supported by his uncle Inamullah Khan, who guided him in mastering the art of car engine overhauling at Pabbi auto repair market.
“I entered the auto repair market as an ordinary worker in 2020, and today I am proud to be known as ‘Ustad’ in my workshop,” Adil shared, surrounded by vehicles’ engines in various stages of repair.
His journey highlights a growing trend in Pakistan, where technical education is increasingly seen as a viable path to combating high rates of illiteracy and unemployment.
“Nothing is more crucial for Pakistan today than promotion of technical education vital for addressing unemployment and poverty,” said Professor Dr. Naeem Khattak, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar while talking to APP.
With a literacy rate of just 62.3 percent in Pakistan where an estimated 60 million people are remain illiterate, including around 22.8 million children aged 5-16 who are out of school due to various factors including socioeconomic imbalances and poverty, he said the country needs innovative approach to break anti education barriers.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, he said that nearly 4.7 million children are out of schools including one million children in erstwhile Fata which should be matter of great concerns for Govt.
About 74.4 percent of girls and 38.5 percent boys are out of schools mainly due to poverty and socio-economic imbalances in KP, says a report of BISP. As many as 77 percent OSC reported in Palas Kolai, 70 percent in Upper Kohistan and 69 percent in Upper Kohistan, about 61 percent of such children in Torghar, 55pc in Shangla, 53 percent in Lakki Marwat and 51 percent each in Tank and Batagram districts.
Similarly, about 66 percent of children are out-of-schools in North Waziristan, 63 percent in Bajaur, 61 percent in South Waziristan, 51 percent each in Mohmand and Khyber, and 47 percent each in Kurram and Orakazai.
“The root causes of the educational problems stem from poverty and unemployment,” Dr. Malik explained, adding these factors not only limit access to education but also affect the social fabric of society.
Emphasizing the need for special financial incentives for students in underserved districts, he said that improved educational infrastructure, and a greater number of qualified teachers were imperative to achieve the set goals.
Wajid Ali Khan, former Education Minister said that high dropout ratio in KP negates the tall claims of PTI leadership regarding an increase in children’s enrolment in schools and uniform education policy.
He said that neither promises of uninformed education were fulfilled nor the dual education system abolished in the province, adding the private schools continued sucking the blood of millions of people in KP with a roaring increase in tuition fee while PTI leadership has paid a deaf ear to it.
“Under Article 25-A of the Constitution, the education sector has been devolved to provinces and it was the responsibility of the provincial governments to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to metric level,’” he said.
Wajid said that poverty, socio economic imbalances, inadequate infrastructure and teachers’ absenteeism besides missing facilities like clean drinking water, boundary walls and toilets in public sector schools in KP has largely been attributed to increased student drop out ratio in the province.
Taking cognizance of high illiteracy and dropout of children from schools, KP Govt has decided in principal to start Education Card initially from seven underdeveloped districts of the province.
Muhammad Sahab Khan, senior planning officer at education department told APP that initially education card would be launched in Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai Palas, Torghar, Upper and Lower Chitral, Tank, and Upper and Lower South Waziristan.
“All the children attending government schools in these areas will receive Rs1,000 per month,” he said, adding these beneficiaries would also get free admission in the registered private schools of their choice.
He said that about 40,000 children would benefit from this program in the first phase in KP and upon its success the facility would be extended to other districts.
“Additionally, girls in grades 6 to 10 across the province would receive Rs500 per month as an educational stipend, benefiting around 550,000 girls.” The official said that annually about Rs 3.1 billion would be spent to be funded by the provincial government, adding free textbooks and scholarships would also be provided under the Education Card.
He said a Rs3 billion education emergency endowment fund would be created for financial sustainability of the program.