Education standards downslide in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - International Literacy Day is being observed today (Monday) across the world with the theme “Literacy and Health” but the state of education in Pakistan paints a dismal picture.

September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated on 1966 to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.

International Literacy Day, 2008, has a strong emphasis on literacy and epidemics with a focus on communicable diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, some of the world’s most important public health concerns.

Education is the main vehicle for socio-economic development but, unfortunately about half of adult population in Pakistan cannot read and write. Pakistan is sixth most populus country of the world. Due to rapid population growth and inability of the formal education system to bring all children into school, illetrate polulation has increased from 22 million in 1961 to 48 million by 2005. It is feared that by 2015, illetrate population in Pakistan may rise to 52 million.