EDUCATION SECTOR

Mission
The National Education System to
meet the basic learning needs of our
society emphasizing basic literacy and
life skills, increase access to and
completion of quality education,
address gender, geographical and
structural disparities, and enhance
the efficiency of education
governance.
 Historical background

When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, West Pakistan had

only one institution of higher education,
 University of the Punjab in WEST Pakistan
 University of Dhaka in East pakistan.
 In the early 1970s, all of Pakistan’s educational institutions were
nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was
committed to the idea of Islamic Socialism.
 However, the growing demand for higher education fast outpaced
the establishment of new public universities. During that period,
the system could accommodate only 25 percent of the high school
graduates who applied to higher education institutions.
 Education in Pakistan
Education in Pakistan is divided into five
levels:
 primary (grades one through five)
 Middle (grades six through eight)
 High (leading to the Secondary School Certificate)
 intermediate (leading to a Higher Secondary
School Certificate)
 university programs leading to graduate and
advanced degrees.
 Current situation of education in
Pakistan
 1 Pakistan is one of only 12 world countries that
spends less than 2% of its GNP on education.
 The World Bank reports that the average
Pakistani boy receives only five years of
schooling; the average girl just 2.5 years. The
U.S. Agency for International Development claims
that only two thirds of Pakistani children aged 5-9
are ever enrolled in school and only one-third will
complete the fifth grade. Pakistan’s adult literacy
rate is about 40% and is much lower among
female .The U.N. Development Program ’s 2004
Human Development Report assigns Pakistan the
lowest “education index” of any country outside
Africa.
 Research and development
To promote research and development (R&D) activities, Higher Education
Commission (HEC) has awarded 5,837 PhD scholarships (3,237 indigenous,

2,600 foreign) over the past three years .

Programs Offered  
 National Research Program for Universities (NRPU)
 Pakistan – United States Science and Technology Cooperative P
rogram

 Research Grant Program for Social Sciences and Humanities

 Pakistan Organization of Collaborative Research (POCR)
 Presidential Young Innovator Program
 University – Industry Technology Support Program
 University Industry Interaction
Challenge 1 LITERACY
Target 1 Increase literacy rate from the current rate of
51.6% to 88% by 2015

Target 2 Remove inter and intra Provincial disparities.

INITIATIVES:
• 11000 literacy centers established against the target of
27,000 originally envisaged;
• Teaching learning and supplementary materials and aids have
been provided to all these centers free of cost;
• Over 2,50,000 people, aged 10+ have been made literate;
• The national literacy curriculum has been developed and 4000
centers established with help from USAid;
• The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD)
has established 6602 literacy centers where 160533 people
have become literate.
• Under the non-formal basic education program, 7749 centers
have been established with an enrolment of 356977 students.
Challenge 2 Access to Basic Education and
Universal Primary Education

Target 100% net enrollment by 2015 with current enrolment

at 85% but 45% dropout rate and gender disparity.

INITIATIVES:

• The budget for primary education is more than 45% of the

total.
• Free education up to matriculation (grade:10) and free supply
of textbooks.
• Grant of stipends and incentives to girl students and female
teachers.
• Project to setup primary schools for each village in hand.
• Community empowered to participate in school management.
• Shift towards vocational / technical training to link education
with direct visible benefits from education. English language
introduced from class-1 in all schools.
Challenge 3 Gender disparities
Target Achieve hundred percent parity by 2015
Current gender gap is 26% at primary level.

INITIATIVES:

• All primary schools being converted to co-educational.

• All new primary schools required to have ratio of 60 to 40
girls to boys, and 70% female teachers to 30% male
teachers.
• Special monetary incentives to attract and retain female
teachers and students in rural areas.
• Gender stereotyping in textbooks and curriculum under
review to ensure equitable portrayal of girls and boys.
Challenge 4 Integration of national
education system
Target 1 Mainstreaming 75% Madaris by 2010

Target 2 Reducing disparities between private and public

schools

INITIATIVES:

• Introduction of English, Maths, Social/Pakistan Studies and

Computer Science in Deeni Madaris.
• Provision of grants for salaries to teachers, cost of textbooks,
teacher training and equipment for formal subjects.
• Madarassah Education Board setup to regulate curriculum
and examination of the Madaris.
• English language compulsory from class 1 in all schools.
• Science and Mathematics in English language.
• Provision of computer labs to all public schools.
Challenge 5 Establish Public Private
Partnership
INITIATIVES:

• Policy amended to mobilize the private sector and civil

society organizations (CSOs) in the financing, management
and delivery of education services in Pakistan.
• The Community Supported Rural Schools Program (CSRSP)
encourages education in rural areas. Currently, 610 schools
are run with an enrolment of 23,300 students.
• Restructuring of national and provincial education
foundations.
• 70 schools have been adopted by the corporate sector.
• 10,000 teachers trained in IT by INTEL Corporation
• Building 16 ICT lab infrastructure in teacher training
institutes by Microsoft.
• Food-Aid Program as incentive to girl students in 28 Districts
with WFP and USAID assistance.
Salient Features of National Education
Policy (1998-2010)
 Universal Primary Education
 Diversification of General Education
 Decentralization of Education
 Modernization of Curricula at all levels
 Madaris Education
 Public-Private Partnership
 Quality Assurance
 Gender Responsive Education
 Recurring Budget of Ministry of Education
(Rs. in thousand)
Demand Description 2007-2008 2008-2009
Main Secretariat, M&E Cell,
Curriculum, Education Policy,
29-Education
Division
Attached Depts, International 532,011 546,228
Organizations ISESCO, UNESCO,
etc. (Mostly pay and allowances)
30-HEC 15,766,425 15,766,425
Autonomous Bodies, Pakistan
Schools & Chairs Abroad, Private
Educational institutions, National
31-Education
Educational Institutions, Sub- 676,922 734,204
Ordinate Offices, etc. (Mostly pay
and allowances).
32-Federal Pay & allowances of teaching
Government personnel in Federal Schools &
Education Colleges.
Institutions in the 1,800,248 2,058,105
Capital and Federal
Areas
Total 18,775,606 19,104,962
Total Ministry of Education 3,009,181 3,338,537

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 Education Expenditure as Percentage of GDP
(Public
(PublicSector)
Sector)

2.8
2.6
2.4
2.2
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2

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9A
Current resources available
Government of Pakistan
(Rupees in billion)
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

GDP 3863 3988 4193 4445 4875*

Spending on
Education 75.88 78.82 89.82 120.48 142.58
(Public)

% of GDP 1.96% 1.98% 2.14% 2.70% 3%*

Source: Federal and Provisional Budget books and communications from

Federal Ministries / Divisions and the District Governments to the Ministry of
Education
* The figure is provisional. Cont….
Development Projects

•Academic Infrastructure

•Research Infrastructure

•Access to Information

•Facilities for Students and Faculty

Scholarships:

Undergraduate Programs:
Local Scholarships_UG

Programs Offered

•HEC-USAID Need Based Scholarship Program

•Talent Farming Scheme
 
•Public-Private Partnership, Shell
  Scholarship Program,
 
• 2008  
 

•Provision of Higher Education Opportunities for

• Students of Balochistan and FATA
    Foreign Scholarships_UG:
•Scholarships for General Medicine Studies in Cuba for Session
• 2007 (Batch-II)
•Undergraduate Scholarships at The University of Hong Kong
 Foreign Scholarships MS

•Netherlands Fellowship Program (NFP)

•Fulbright Scholarship Support Program (Masters / PhD Scholarships, USA)
•Overseas Scholarship for MS (Engineering) In South Korean Universities /Industries
•OFID Masters Scholarship Award, for Year 2007.
•JICA Long Term Training Program for Urban Planning or Environmental Engineering
•HEC Overseas Scholarships for Masters in Engineering at AIT, Bangkok
•Overseas Scholarships for Masters in Engineering
•Commonwealth Scholarships/ Fellowships for Postgraduate Studies (Masters and
PhD Programs) in New Ze
 Foreign Scholarships_MSPHD

HRD Initiative - MS Leading to PhD Program of Faculty Development for

UESTPs-Austria

HRD Initiative-Ms Leading to PhD Program of Faculty Development for UESTPs

HEC Overseas Scholarship in Bioinformatics & Nanotechnology

Overseas Scholarship Scheme For PhD In Selected Fields

HRD Initiative - Ms Leading to PhD Program of Faculty Development for

UESTPs-China
Education budget as % age of total
Government budget
Year %age
2000-01 11.7
2001-02 11.2
2002-03 10.0
2003-04 13.2
2004-05 12.5
2005-06 12.2
2006-07 12.9
2007-08 11.5
Source: Pakistan Economic Survey 2007-08 and Financing of Education
in the Public Sector MoE, January 2008.
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