Punjab Government Efforts

The Punjab government is striving hard to improve the standard of education especially at the primary level by providing all possible opportunities to each and every child of the province on priority basis, ignoring gender disparities. With the assistance of international donor communities, the financial assistance program is mainly focused on the uplift of primary schools. Also World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food aid to poor rural families for sending their girls to school. A novel approach i.e. free books, free education plus Rs.200 monthly stipend (not a bad sum of money in rural areas) for girl students in selected 19 districts where literacy rate is below 40 per cent has been adopted. The government’s efforts to raise literacy rates have greatly helped in uplifting the literacy rate in the province. Though conservative and patriarchal society regards school going girls as flouting religious and cultural codes of conduct, also many poor families had not only liked the idea. But the scheme helps to change the mindset to break the traditional barrier against educating women and they jumped at the opportunity. High dropout rates within levels of schooling are very disturbing features but now via current initiatives drop out challenge which once the hurdle to spell success has been brazen out. Recent figures express over 3,50000 girls are getting stipend and about 44% enrollment increase witnessed (2 millions new enrollments).

WITHOUT EDUCATION

Without education, it is difficult for women to exercise their other rights and achieve their aspirations. The worldwide numbers reveal shocking levels of inequality in education between girls and boys, Pakistan has some of the worst statistics in the world in this regard – half the adult population illiterate, while more than two thirds of Pakistani women cannot read or write. Indeed, with approximately 50 per cent of all those enrolled in school dropping out before completing primary schooling. Of this, the majority consists of female students. In Pakistan, only 17 percent of girls in rural areas complete primary school. According to one survey in Pakistan 20.7 million children have attained primary school going age but lamenting that 10.3 million can’t afford and 7 million are girls.

Poor families pay for the education of their sons though wants their daughters to be educated as well. "Hands Up for Girls Education" slogan is right on track. Progress in educating girls has been dramatically improved.

BARRIERS AND WOMEN EDUCATION

Women making up half of the world's population, contributing two-thirds of all work hours to subsistence. She confined within the four walls taught to worship the male members of the family. The rural-urban gap is wider than the gender gap in most countries. The most disadvantaged are rural girls; make up two-thirds of the world’s unschooled children. Discriminatory structure, cultural suppression, social and traditional practices and family conditions deny girls an opportunity to fully realize their potential and are responsible for the low rate of women's education in Pakistan.

School fees, transport expenses, clothing and books widen the gender gap as families cannot afford, trapping girls in a vicious downward circle of denied rights. Due to the cost of schooling often leads parents to send only their boys to school, partly due to the prevalent notion that it is only the sons who are an earning hand and establish a household. In cultures where the daughters who marry become part of the husband's responsibility, the incentive to educate girls is still weaker. Other barrier is sexual harassment both on the way and school premises. It has been catastrophic for all children of being deprived of their birth right to be educated, but particularly for girls the fall-out is severe and difficult to reverse. The feudal and tribal power is such that children, especially female child, are put to work either in fields or as household helpers and for other menial work.

GIRLS EDUCATION----ISN’T A BREAK THE BANK-PRICE-TAG ITEM

During times of rapid social change, such as the second half of the 20th century, the role of education in the service of the nation is emphasized. However it is in the ideological and moral spheres that education is most clearly expected to play a leading role. But, unfortunately, the developing world are confronting silent crisis of lack of education. One recent study of 63 countries showed that progress in educating girls led to dramatically improved. Full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women have not yet been attained anywhere, and are therefore continuous obligations of all governments. UNICEF said 121 million children around the world are out of school - with a larger number of girls, compared to boys.