“Education,” as Nelson Mandela said, “is the most powerful weapon which you can use

to change the world.”

And while every country on Earth has a schooling system, there’s a vast discrepancy in
how well each country is able to use it and arm its children with education, leaving the
most successful, high-income nations racing ahead of the struggling ones.
“When it's shown as an average number of years in school and levels of achievement,
the developing world is about 100 years behind developed countries,” according to the
Brookings Institution.
In most developing countries, few children graduate from secondary school and many don’t even
finish primary school. The UNESCO program Education for All, which as part of the Millennium
Development Goals aims to provide free, universal access to primary schooling, has been successful
in dramatically increasing enrollment. But, according to annual Education for All reports, many kids
drop out before finishing school. There are numerous reasons, including the difficulty of getting to
school and the cost of schooling. Even when tuition is free, there are often expenses for lunch,
uniforms, and examination fees. And because the quality of education is often poor, parents are
forced to pay for additional tutoring to enable their children to pass tests. It is not surprising that
when education investments do not result in adequate learning, or even basic literacy and
numeracy, parents do not keep their children in schoolHighperforming students in less developed
regions face a much different future from their counterparts’ in wealthier areas. There are no higher
levels of schooling or professional job opportunities awaiting most of these children; they will likely
end up working on family or neighborhood farms or starting their own small enterprises.

We fervently believe that what students in impoverished regions need are not more academic skills,
but rather life skills that enable them to improve their financial prospects and well-being. These
include financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills; health maintenance and management skills; and
administrative capabilities, such as teamwork, problem solving, and project management.

New Model

“school for life,” shifts the goal of schooling away from the achievement of standardized
learning outcomes toward making a positive impact on the economic and social well-being of
students and their communities. The model requires significant changes in both content and
pedagogy. First, entrepreneurship and health modules are mandatory curriculum components
for all primary grade students. Second, student-centered learning methods are used that
require students to work in groups to solve complex problems and manage projects on their
own.

This approach is inspired by models of adult education in developing countries that focus on
self-efficacy as a critical foundation of positive livelihood and health-seeking behaviors,
along with active-learning pedagogies used in progressive schools throughout the world. The
health curriculum draws on the work of the World Health Organization and focuses on
preventing disease, caring for sick children, and obtaining medical care. The entrepreneurship
curriculum is informed by our work with adult entrepreneurs in developing countries, and it
draws ideas from a broad range of financial and entrepreneurial programs developed by
organizations like the International Labour Organization, Junior Achievement, and Aflatoun.

Conceptual knowledge is put into practice at school through activities that empower children
to use what they have learned. For example, students practice routine health behaviors, such
as hand washing and wearing shoes near latrines—and, to the extent feasible, gain exposure
to other important behaviors, such as boiling drinking water and using malaria nets. They
practice routine market-like transactions by earning points for schoolwork and budgeting
those points to obtain valuable prizes, such as sitting in a favorite chair or being first in line.

Students also develop higher order skills as they work in committees to develop and execute
complex projects. Health-related projects can range from planning and carrying out an
athletic activity to be played during recess, to practicing diagnostic skills when classmates are
ill—helping to decide, for example, when a cold has turned into a respiratory infection that
requires antibiotics. Entrepreneurship projects include identifying and exploiting market
opportunities through business ideas like school gardens or community recycling that create
real value. Students learn and practice workplace skills and attitudes like delegation,
negotiation, collaboration, and planning—opportunities that are rarely available to them
outside their families.

Some school systems, especially at the secondary level, have begun to include
entrepreneurship and health topics in their curricular requirements. But including information
in basic lectures is not enough. Schools must simultaneously adopt action-oriented
pedagogical approaches that hone critical thinking skills and enable children to identify
problems, seek out and evaluate relevant information and resources, and design and carry out
plans for solving these problems. This involves tackling real problems that require and
empower students to take the initiative and responsibility for their own learning.

A full implementation of this new school for life approach has not yet been adopted by any
major organization, but a pilot is currently being developed by Escuela Nueva in Colombia.
Escuela Nueva was the pioneer in adapting student-centered approaches for use in
impoverished rural environments, which often use multigrade classrooms. Escuela Nueva
develops classroom materials and pedagogical approaches in which students work in self-
directed teams to learn, discuss, and actively practice, using the basic content included in
standard governmental curricula.

Through this unique combination of relevant content, practical implementation, and student
empowerment, children develop a body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable
them to succeed and thrive when they leave school, whether they are headed toward college
or remain in their communities.
Dramatic Changes Are Needed

The traditional definition of school quality in the developing world is based on content
mastery. But using traditional schooling approaches during the few precious years most
children will spend in school leads to wasted resources and forgone opportunities for
individuals and communities. Governmental agencies and organizations that support and
promote quality education for all children must move beyond traditional models to help
children develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are relevant to their lives and that
can lift them out of poverty.
For too long, governments and organizations investing in developing-world education have
operated under the unquestioned assumption that improved test scores were clear evidence
that their investments have paid off. But if, as we argue here, mastery of the basic primary
school curriculum is not the best means for improving life chances and alleviating poverty in
developing countries, that model is broken. Investing in interventions that produce the highest
test scores is no longer a valid approach for allocating scarce educational dollars or the scarce
time available for the development of young minds. It is time to seek out the interventions
that lead to the greatest social and economic impact for the poor.

1. A lack of funding for education

2. Developing countries can’t rely solely on their own financing for education —
there’s also a need for more foreign aid.
3. Only 20% of aid for education goes to low-income countries, according to the
Global Partnership for Education (GPE). But it costs an average of $1.25 a day per
child in developing countries to provide 13 years of education.
4. If each developing country invested just 15 cents more per child, it could make
all the difference. There is currently a $39 billion gap to providing quality
education to all children by 2030. GPE encourages developing countries to
contribute 20% of their national budget to education, and allocate 45% of it to
primary education.
2. Having no teacher, or having an untrained teacher
Teacher effectiveness has been found to be the most important predictor of student
learning. GPE is determined to fight the global teacher crisis at hand.
There aren't enough teachers to achieve universal primary or secondary education, and
many of the teachers that are currently working are untrained. As a result, children
aren’t receiving a proper education. There are 130 million children in school who are
not learning basic skills like reading, writing and math. Globally, the UN estimates
that 69 million new teachers are required to achieve universal primary and secondary
education by 2030. To offer every child primary education, 25.8 million school
teachers need to be recruited. Meanwhile, in 1 out of every 3 countries, less than three-
quarters of teachers are trained to national standards.
3. No classroom
A child cannot learn without the right environment. Children in many countries in sub-
Saharan Africa are often squeezed into overcrowded classrooms, classrooms that are
falling apart, or are learning outside. They also lack textbooks, school supplies, and
other tools they need to excel.
In Malawi, for example, there are an average of 130 children per classroom in first
grade. It’s not just a lack of classrooms that’s the problem, but also all the basic facilities
you would expect a school to have — like running water and toilets.
4. A lack of learning materials
Outdated and worn-out textbooks are often shared by six or more students in many parts of
the world. In Tanzania, for example, only 3.5% of all sixth grade pupils had sole use of a
reading textbook. In Cameroon, there are 11 primary school students for every reading
textbook and 13 for every mathematics textbook in second grade. Workbooks, exercise
sheets, readers, and other core materials to help students learn their lessons are in short
supply. Teachers also need materials to help prepare their lessons, share with their
students, and guide their lessons.
 5. The exclusion of children with disabilities
Despite the fact that education is a universal human right, being denied access to school
is common for the world’s 93 to 150 million children with disabilities. In some of the
world’s poorest countries, up to 95% of children with disabilities are out of school.
Students with disabilities have lower attendance rates and are more likely to be out of
school or leave school before completing primary education. They are suspended or
expelled at a rate more than double the rate of their non-special education peers.
A combination of discrimination, lack of training in inclusive teaching methods among
teachers, and a lack of accessible schools leave this group uniquely vulnerable to being
denied their right to education.

6. Being the ‘wrong’ gender

Put simply, gender is one of the biggest reasons why children are denied an education. Despite
recent advances in girls’ education, a generation of young women has been left behind. Over
130 million young women around the world are not currently enrolled in school. One in 3 girls in
the developing world marriesbefore the age of 18, and usually leaves school if they do.
7. Living in a country in conflict or at risk of conflict
There are many casualties of any war, and education systems are often destroyed. Children
exposed to violence are more at risk of under-achieving and dropping out of school. The impact of
conflict cannot be overstated. Nearly 250 million children are living in countries affected by
conflicts. More than 75 million children and young people aged 3 to 18 are currently in urgent
need of educational support in 35 crisis-affected countries, with young girls 90% more likely to be
out of secondary school in conflict areas than elsewhere.
8. Distance from home to school
For many children around the world, a walk to school of up to three hours in each direction is not
uncommon. This is just too much for many children, particularly children living with a disability,
those suffering from malnutrition or illness, or those who are required to work around the
household. Imagine having to set off for school, hungry, at 5 a.m. every day, not to return until 7
p.m. Many children, especially girls, are also vulnerable to violence on their long and hazardous
journeys to and from school.
9. Hunger and poor nutrition
The impact of hunger on education systems is gravely underreported. Being severely
malnourished, to the point it impacts on brain development, can be the same as losing four
grades of schooling. It is estimated that around 155 million children under the age of five
are estimated to be stunted. Stunting –– impaired growth and development that children
experience from poor infection, and inadequate stimulation –– can affect a child’s cognitive
abilities as well as their focus and concentration in school. As a result, stunted children are
19% less likely to be able to read by age eight. Conversely, good nutrition can be crucial
preparation for good learning.
10. The expense of education
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that every child has the right to a free
basic education, so that poverty and lack of money should not be a barrier to schooling. In many
developing countries, over the last several, decades, governments have announced the abolition
of school fees and as a result, they have seen impressive increases in the number of children
going to school.
Case Studies

Japan
Thanks to an intense focus on academics starting at age 6 (the primary school drop out rate is
just .2 percent), Japan’s students have scoring well down to a science. Ranking No. 2 in Pearson
Education’s annual global educational performance report and placing fourth in reading and
seventh in math in the influential Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey
— which tests 15-year-old students worldwide in order to compare countries’ education
systems — the Pacific Ocean island nation is serious about learning. And it’s paid off: The
literacy rate of their 127 million citizens is 99 percent.
Finland
Who knew that lots of breaks can help create academic aces? The Finns. The Northern European
nation mandates that their kids — who don’t begin studies until age 7 — have 15-minute
outdoor free-play sessions for every hour of their five-hour school day. And though grades
aren’t given until fourth grade (and schools don’t require any standardized tests until senior
year), their students’ achievement is undoubted. Consistently high PISA survey scorers,
Finland’s latest rank is sixth in reading and 12 in math.
Norway
Norway, rated highest in human development by the U.N., prioritizes education for their 5.1
million residents. The Nordic nation spends 6.6% of their GDP on education (nearly 1.5% less
than the U.S. does) and keeps their student-teacher ratio below 9:1. Relying on a national
curriculum that teachers interpret for their pupils — who aren’t defined by grade level — arts
and crafts are part of the program, as well as food and health, music, and physical education.
And their system is clearly working. A hundred percent of Norway’s school-age population is
enrolled in school, 97 percent have some secondary education, and they’ve closed the gender
gap in education to boot!
Singapore
Described as an “exam-oriented” system, education in this island city-state of nearly 5.7 million
in Southeast Asia strives to teach children problem solving. They’ve certainly figured out how to
conquer tests. Ranking No. 1 in Pearson Education’s global educational report for “Cognitive
Skills” and No. 3 overall, Singapore placed high on the PISA test too: No. 3 in reading and No. 2 in
math. Teachers study-up in Singapore as well, participating in professional development
throughout their careers.
Netherlands
Geen Nederlands spreken? No problem. Even non-Dutch speaking students get the help they
need to succeed in the Netherlands’ schools. The country of 17 million — ranked No. 8 in
Pearson Education’s ratings and No. 10 in the PISA survey — provides teaching in languages
other than Dutch for students in grades 1 to 4 to foster learning in all subjects. And to keep their
94% graduation rate at the secondary level, they also funnel extra funding to poorer and ethnic
minority students. According to UNESCO, the primary schools with the highest proportion of
disadvantaged students have, on average, about 58 percent more teachers and support staff.
Germany
Dissatisfied with their scores on the 2000 PISA tests, the European country — ranked 7 in
the U.N.’s Education Index — took action. They reformed their education policy, including, “the
adoption of national standards and increased support for disadvantaged students,” per UNESCO,
and things turned around for their 82 million population. Today in the PISA rankings, Germany
sits at No. 20 in Reading, a two-spot improvement, and is No. 16 in math, a five-spot jump.
EU
 like the European system in this regard where one year before field
selection is for counseling. They are provided with an environment to
explore dozens of fields and then chose the best-suited field at the end of
the year. In this way, they find their actual interest and field.Pakistan
famous quote of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah:
“Education is a matter of life and death for Pakistan. The world
is progressing so rapidly that without requisite advance in
education, not only shall we lag behind others but may be
wiped out altogether.”
The Article 25A – Right to Education – of the Constitution states that:
“The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to
sixteen
years in such manner as may be determined by law.”

Current Literacy Rate in Pakistan 2019

(Updated)
As of January 2019, Pakistan vows to raise literacy rate from 58% to 70%
in four years by providing school access to the approximately 22.8 million
students, improving the education system among all ages with modern
technology
Pakistan, along with other countries of world has signed the Sustainable Development Goals
Agenda
2030. SDG-4 relates to quality education and lifelong learning. Various levels and dimensions of
monitoring frameworks have been defined to better monitor the SDG-4 at national and global
levels.
The monitoring system that provides in-depth specifics of education system offers greater
opportunities to policy makers for their unique circumstances and development priorities. As
Pakistan
was unable to achieve the Education For All (EFA) agenda by 2015, unfinished business of EFA
will be
an integral part of SDGs Agenda 2030.

Flaws in the Education System of Pakistan:

5. 1. Theoretical (Not Practical) Education:
6. 2. Outdated (20 years old Syllabus):
7. 3. No Teaching Quality:
8. 4. No Unity (Different Curriculum/Syllabus):
9. 5. Limited Fields Offered:
10. 6. No Career Counselling (difficult to Choose Field):
11. 7. Education Become a Profitable Business:
12. 8. No Check and Balance:
13. 9. Rattalization (Cramming):
14. 10. No or Less Security:

Pakistan is facing a serious challenge to ensure all children, particularly the most
disadvantaged, attend, stay and learn in school. While enrollment and retention rates are
improving, progress has been slow to improve education indicators in Pakistan.
An estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are out-of-school.

Currently, Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC)
with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school, representing 44 per
cent of the total population in this age group. In the 5-9 age group, 5 million children are not
enrolled in schools and after primary-school age, the number of OOSC doubles, with 11.4
million adolescents between the ages of 10-14 not receiving formal education. Disparities
based on gender, socio-economic status, and geography are significant; in Sindh, 52 percent
of the poorest children (58 percent girls) are out of school, and in Balochistan, 78 percent of
girls are out of school.

Nearly 10.7 million boys and 8.6 million girls are enrolled at the primary level and this drops
to 3.6 million boys and 2.8 million girls at the lower secondary level.
Gender-wise, boys outnumber girls at every stage of education.

Gaps in service provision at all education levels is a major constraint to education

access. Socio-cultural demand-side barriers combined with economic factors and supply-
related issues (such as availability of school facility), together hamper access and retention of
certain marginalized groups, in particular adolescent girls. Putting in place a credible data
system and monitoring measures to track retention and prevent drop-out of out-of-school
children is still a challenge.

At systems level, inadequate financing, limited enforcement of policy commitments and

challenges in equitable implementation impede reaching the most disadvantaged. An
encouraging increase in education budgets has been observed though at 2.8 percent of the
total GDP, it is still well short of the 4 percent target.
Solution

In order to accelerate progress and ensure the equitable expansion of quality education, UNICEF
supports the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to significantly reduce the number of OOSC at pre-
primary, primary and lower secondary levels. Our education programme is focusing on Early
Childhood Education (ECE) to improve school readiness; expansion of equitable and quality
alternative learning pathways (ALP) at basic education levels; and nurturing of school-community
linkages to increase on-time enrolment, reduce drop-outs, and ensure completion and transition for all
students. At systems levels, we are contributing to more equity-focused provincial sector planning and
budgeting; strengthening data and assessment systems; and evidence-based policy advocacy.

Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Investment in quality early learning/pre-primary education so that young children are ‘ready for
school’ has high positive impacts on primary school enrolment, survival and learning, and is cost-
effective.
The benefits of ECE are highest for children from poor and vulnerable households.

Given the limited reach and inequities in the provision of pre-primary education, Pakistan is
increasingly recognizing early learning as a policy priority, and several provinces have already
developed ECCE policies, plans, and standards.

Alternative Learning Pathways (ALP)

While several models exist for ALPs, these are still scattered and limited in scale. UNICEF is
addressing the issue of OOSC through studies, supporting provincial sector plan development,
development or review of non-formal education policy and direct programme implementation. This
wealth of experience now provides the evidence, know-how, and momentum for UNICEF to support
federal and provincial governments in broadening ALPs within education systems to bring OOSC into
primary education, with a specific focus on adolescent girls.

School-Community Linkages

Socio-cultural demand-side barriers combined with economic factors together drive education
deprivation for certain groups of children in Pakistan, particularly girls. These barriers are further
exacerbated by a lack of parental awareness of early learning, importance of on-time enrolment, and
lack of social protection schemes. UNICEF is therefore focusing more closely on the obstacles to on-
time enrolment, retention, completion and transition.

Equity in Education

Equity-based investments by government continue to be the key way to ensure education systems
include the most disadvantaged girls and boys. Considering insufficient and ineffective allocation of
budgets, UNICEF strategically engages in sector planning, to capitalise on opportunities to influence
decision-making on equity issues.

UNICEF’s growing technical capacity and focus on assessment of learning, and international
expertise also provides an opportunity to add value to Pakistan’s efforts to improve assessment
systems. System reforms help in improving accountability and evidence-based decision
making. UNICEF supports healthy dialogue on education budgeting and public financing, to highlight
areas of improvement for better planning and improvement in the education sector.