PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN
PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 Results for children in Pakistan EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN Copyright UNICEF Pakistan Printed in July 2015 Editing Sarah Nam Graphic design Giovanna Burinato Photographs Asad Zaidi For more information contact Daniel Timme Chief of Advocacy and Communication, dtimme@unicef.org
FOREWORD In recent years, the Government of Pakistan has demonstrated increased commitment to social sector development, consequently leading to some notable successes. In particular, the country is celebrating the recent achievement of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation, halving the proportion of the population without sustainable access to basic sanitation. Over the past two decades, the government has also made notable strides in combatting polio, increasing routine immunization and decreasing the number of out-ofschool children. PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 Results for children in Pakistan UNICEF, along with its partners, is supporting the Government of Pakistan to achieve the MDGs and will continue to do so in the post-2015 era. More specifically, UNICEF is providing support to achieve the following results in Pakistan: - BIRTH REGISTRATION: Achieve universal birth registration by 2024 - EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN: Provide access to improved education to more than 1.2 million children in Pakistan by 2017 - ERADICATE POLIO: Eliminate the disease by May 2016 - STOP STUNTING: 1.9 million fewer children with stunted growth and development by 2017 - IMPROVE ACCESS TO SANITATION: 10 million fewer people practising open defecation by 2017 - DECREASE CHILD DEATHS: Reduce newborn mortality from 55 to 20 live births per 1,000 by 2017, and have 90 percent fully immunized children (aged 12-23 months) by 2017 These progress reports take a deeper look into these issues, including the latest data and how government interventions have positively impacted children and communities in Pakistan. These reports also present key challenges, recent research, knowledge and evaluations, and strategic direction for the future. Through these reports, we seek to foster productive collaboration, demonstrate the collective contribution of UNICEF and its partners, and reassert our commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. BIRTH REGISTRATION EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN ERADICATE POLIO STOP STUNTING IMPROVE ACCESS TO SANITATION DECREASE CHILD DEATHS Angela Kearney UNICEF Representative in Pakistan
OVERVIEW The Government of Pakistan has a vision to see all children in the country in school and completing at least 10 years of basic education. Today, this vision is far from being realised. While the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan has decreased over the past 10 years, there are still more than 6.16 million children aged 5-9 who are out of school. The factors that hinder enrolment, retention and completion of schooling include a lack of schools (particularly in remote areas) and qualified teachers and resources, long distances from home to school, conflict and insecurity and gendered norms such as early marriage. The deteriorating quality of education and dropout rates are also key concerns. For example, in 2014, 84 percent of grade 3 children could not read a story in Urdu/Sindhi/Pashto 1. Further, dropout is highest in Grade 5 (42.8%) indicating that many children do not transition to lower secondary education and therefore do not complete basic education. This report presents some of the latest data, national targets, equity issues and key successes in education in Pakistan. Ultimately, it argues that increased investment is required to achieve ambitious targets to ensure all children are in school and learning paying particular attention to the most marginalized, disadvantaged and hardest-to-reach children.
EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN GLOBAL TARGET Achieve universal primary education by 2015 UNICEF PAKISTAN TARGET Support the Government to provide access to equitable access and quality access to more than 1.2 million children in Pakistan by 2017 Overall, it is estimated that 25 million children aged 5-16 are not attending school in Pakistan, with at least 3 out of 10 primary-aged children in the country not attending school. Recent studies have also shown that more are out of school 38.9 percent of primary school age, compared to 30.2 percent for boys 2. I know one thing education may not bring me wealth, but it will restore my self-respect and esteem. Kainaat Grade 10 student from the Mishaal Model School, Islamabad 6 PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN 7
HOW UNICEF WILL HELP ACHIEVE RESULTS The Government of Pakistan s vision is to see the country s most vulnerable children in school and completing at least 10 years of quality education. To support this, UNICEF s strategy has four key facets: Create a supportive policy environment Mitigate risks of natural disasters PAKISTAN S MOST VULNERABLE AND DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL AND COMPLETING AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF EDUCATION Strengthen teachers and education administrators DATA PROFILE Trends show improvement over time Over the past 10 years, the number of out-of-school children aged 5-9 (or primary age) has decreased from 7.54 million to 6.16 million. Number of out-of-school children Encourage families and communities to support children to learn million 8 6 4 7.54 6.47 6.75 6.16 Create a supportive policy environment: UNICEF works with the Pakistan Government to support the education sector at all levels. This includes providing technical support such as research, planning, monitoring and policy formulation, particularly to determine alternative education pathways for the most marginalized children. 2 0 2005-06 2009-10 2012-13 2013-14 Strengthen education administrators: UNICEF works with provincial education departments to develop their capacities in curriculum, teaching, education leadership, collection and management of education data to expand access and improve quality teaching. Encourage families and communities to support children to learn: Recognizing the enormous influence of parents and peers on a child s education, community engagement remains a key feature of UNICEF-assisted programmes at the grassroots-level. Mitigate impact of natural disasters: Frequent natural disasters in Pakistan can greatly disrupt schools and learning for children. UNICEF is working with partners to assess the likelihood of risks before they happen, and train schools to prepare and respond to disasters once they do. Data source: National Education Management Information System 2013-14. Girls are not learning as much as boys According to the latest data, learning levels for in language and numeracy are lower than learning levels of boys in all wealth quintiles. The data shows that only 14 percent of the poorest females can read a story in Urdu/Sindhi/ Pashto, compared to 22 percent poorest males. Similarly, 11 percent poorest females can do two digit division sums and 12 percent can read sentences in English whereas 20 percent of the poorest males can read sentences in English and 19 percent can do two digit division sums. 8 PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN 9
Learning levels 50 40 30 20 10 MALES (%) FEMALES (%) 50 40 30 20 10 ACCELERATING CHANGE IN PAKISTAN IMPORTANT ACTIONS Providing crucial technical support to government UNICEF has provided major technical support to the federal and provincial governments to develop long-term education policies, such as the National Plan of Action and Education Sector Plans for Sindh and Baluchistan. Not only does qualitative and quantitative research consistently underpin UNICEF s own planning and programmes, but also our technical support to government. These include key studies on out-of-school children and alternate learning pathways, detailed gap assessments on current capacity levels and strategic development plans. Large scale improvements across the board Sanitation facilities are an important factor in retention A school environment that does not have adequate drinking water and toilet facilities can result in low attendance, dropouts and absenteeism, particularly for adolescent. Water and toilet facility in primary schools 100% 80% Urdu: Reading story English: Reading sentence Mathematics Urdu: Reading story Poorest Poorer Richer Richest English: Reading sentence Mathematics 2013 2014 The past few years have seen huge improvements in all areas: Sector Plans developed for Sindh and Balochistan that have generated additional 100 million for the two provinces and increased engagement of non-traditional partners. Approximately 600,000 children enrolled through the National Plan of Action and enrolment drives. Almost 230,000 children (including 39 percent of ) displaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/ Federally Administered Tribal Areas continued their education during emergencies. Around 65,000 out-of-school children continued their education through alternative learning approaches in the remote and hard-to-reach areas in the provinces, to access primary education. Supporting the first Education Management Information System (EMIS) in Balochistan with codification down to pupil for better tracking of a student in the education system. 60% 40% 20% 0% toilet water toilet water toilet water toilet water GOVERNMENT PRIVATE Data source (both charts): Annual Status of Education Report 2014. 10 PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN 11
EQUITY National averages showing improvements in the quality of education and children s access to education hide important disparities, particularly between rural and urban, rich and poor, and male and female. Interestingly, gender disparities disappear amongst richer households, suggesting a strong link between poverty and gender disparities. Children from rural areas, particularly, are also more likely to be out of school than those from urban areas. Thus, poor in rural areas are the most disadvantaged when it comes to participation in education. Accessing education - Poor rural (20 percent ) vs. from the richest rural households (58 percent). - 40 percent poor urban compared to 81 percent of rich urban who access primary /secondary education 3. RURAL Poor 20% Rich 58% URBAN Poor 40% Rich 81% LOOKING FORWARD Moving forward, UNICEF will make a stronger commitment to supporting the government to improve education so that it is equitable and available to the most marginalized children, and relevant and responsive to children s diverse learning needs. This also means developing alternative approaches to reach over-aged learners who are out of school. UNICEF will also support the government to improve teaching, learning and assessment and school environments (especially for adolescent ). This will be done through promotion of adequate and safe school buildings, better gender-friendly school sanitation facilities, participatory school governance structures and school policies that eliminate discrimination. CHALLENGES In addition to the obvious challenges arising from socio-economic, geographic and security issues, another key challenge in Pakistan is data and reporting. For example, impressive enrolment figures from four provinces in 2014 were not disaggregated to provide a holistic picture age of enrolment; whether they were first time enrollers; those who had dropped out and re-enrolled, etc. Retention rates were also not captured throughout the academic year. Years of schooling Poor urban get an average 2.21 years of schooling whereas poor rural only get 1.01 years of education 4. Poor rural 1.01 Poor urban 2.21 Quality of education Girls from the poorest families receive the lowest quality of education. > 12 PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN 13
RESEARCH, KNOWLEDGE, EVALUATION Report on Out-of-School Children in the Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh Provinces of Pakistan: In 2013, UNESCO Institute of Statistics and UNICEF released this report, presenting an analysis of the most recent and reliable statistical information on outof-school children in Pakistan, and examining the factors that lead to exclusion from schooling in the country. The report aims to provide policy-makers with information about gaps in data, analysis and policy on the participation of children in school and so guide concrete reforms in the education sector and beyond to ensure that all children can exercise their right to education. The report can be accessed at <www.unicef.org/pakistan/osc_unicef_annual_ Report.pdf>, accessed July 2015 National Plan of Action to Accelerate Education-Related MDGs 2013-16 Achieving Universal Quality Primary Education in Pakistan: In 2013, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education to produce this National Plan of Action. The key objective of the plan is to accelerate the progress towards achieving education MDGs in the next three years. More specifically, the Plan aims to achieve: 1. enrolment of maximum number of out-of-school children in primary classes; 2. in-school retention of all enrolled children, and completion of their primary education; 3. improvement in quality of primary education. The plan can be found at this link: <www.aepam.edu.pk/files/publications/ MDG_Book.pdf> Education for All, 2015 National Review Report: Pakistan: This progress report monitors the progress of the country towards global Education for All commitments made in 2000. This report also highlights good practices and shares learnings for promotion of access, equity, quality and governance in the education sector for the future. The full report is available here: <http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002297/229718e.pdf> REAL LIVES, REAL CHANGE Aspiring to teach For 16-year-old Khalida Batool from southern Punjab, school has brought an opportunity she had never deemed possible. She had never before attended school, and instead supplemented the meagre family income by weaving and selling cane baskets. My mother is the sole breadwinner of our family as my father is blind and cannot work. says Khalida. This is the first time that I am receiving proper education. Learning to read and write excites me and I attend school regularly. I wake up early to help my mother in household work, revise my school lesson and then come to school. I aspire to become a teacher and be able to educate other like myself one day. As part of its commitment to Education for All, UNICEF is implementing this project to provide equitable access to education for marginalized out-of-school in three southern districts of Punjab province. The project aims to enrol 3,950 children into school and bring 1,200 like Khalida into non-formal education to acquire a Basic Education Equivalency Certificate. 14 PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN 15
Endnotes 1 ASER Center 2014, Annual Status of Education Report 2014, <www.aserpakistan.org/document/ aser/2014/reports/national/aser_national_report_2014.pdf>, accessed July 2015. 2 UNESCO Institute of Statistics and United Nations Children s Fund 2013, Out-of-School Children in the Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh Provinces of Pakistan, <www.unicef.org/ pakistan/osc_unicef_annual_report.pdf>, accessed July 2015. 3 Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement 2007-08, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 4 United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization 2010, EFA Global Monitoring Report: Deprivation and Marginalization in Education, <www.unesco.org/fileadmin/multimedia/hq/ed/ GMR/html/dme-4.html>, accessed July 2015. Sources ASER Center 2013, Annual Status of Education Report 2013, <www.aserpakistan.org/document/ aser/2013/reports/national/aser_national_report_2013.pdf>, accessed July 2015. Islamic Republic of Pakistan 2013-14, Pakistan Education Statistics 2012-14, National Education Management Information System, Academy of Educational Planning and Management, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, <www.aepam.edu.pk/files/educationstatistics/ PakistanEducationStatistics2013-14.Pdf>, accessed July 2015. United Nations Children s Fund 2011-12, Situation Analysis of children and women in Pakistan, <www.unicef.org/pakistan/national_report.pdf>, accessed July 2015. World Bank 2014, Global Monitoring Report: Ending Poverty and Sharing Prosperity, <www. worldbank.org/en/publication/global-monitoring-report>, accessed July 2015. The maps in this publication are stylized and not to scale. They do not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers. The dotted line between Jammu and Kashmir represents approximately the Line of Control agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the Parties. UNICEF Pakistan www.unicef.org/pakistan/ www.facebook.com/unicefpakistan twitter.com/unicef_pakistan PROGRESS REPORT 2013-2015 EDUCATE ALL CHILDREN 17