Going to School in Pakistan

The armed conflict taking place within Pakistan certainly is the major immediate threat to the well being of the children of Pakistan. However, the state of Pakistani schools does not offer these children much long-term hope. An article in The Economist (April 7, 2007; www.economist.com), "Teacher, don't leave them kids alone," makes these dismal observations about schooling in Pakistan:

• Officially, 53% of Pakistanis are literate. Others say the figure is nearer 30%. Literacy, often defined as no more than the ability to write one's name, is as low as 3% among women in some rural areas.

• Across Pakistan as a whole, only 52% of primary school-age pupils attend school. Of those, nearly one-third will drop out.

• Only 22% of girls above the age of ten complete primary schooling, compared with 47% of boys.

• Some 3,500 schools do not have buildings; of those that do, 4,000 are classed as "dangerous"; 29,000 schools have no electricity; 14,000 have no drinking water; 22,000 do not have a toilet; 4,000 consist of a single classroom; and fewer than 100 secondary schools have science labs.