Addressing OOSC

A highly ambitious plan to enrol half of the 25.1 million out-of-school children in Pakistan by 2030 has just been undertaken by the Sindh government in collaboration with UNICEF. The move aims to tackle larger issues such as poverty, child labour, gender discrimination and access to education over the next five years to improve the country's literacy. It goes without saying that 'addressing' issues like poverty, discrimination and the like is a highly simplified way to take charge of a deeply complex problem. In a discussion featuring senior government officials, Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah pointed out that the reasons behind school dropouts must be understood for effective interventions. But what does 'understood' mean within this context? When the general public routinely decries inflation, exorbitant school fees and a substandard quality of education in public schools, are practical and comprehensive measures not warranted as an immediate next step? Considering Pakistan's current state of education, there is a pressing need to move beyond buzzwords that merely identify the problem but offer no concrete steps as respite. Instead, there is a greater need to address core issues underlying problems such as poverty and child labour. These issues include administrative corruption, misplaced funding, incompetent implementation of previous initiatives and a regressive culture that still wants girls to only aspire for marriage. Only time will tell whether this plan comes to fruition or not. But a transparent plan of action will surely offer predictive clues about its success - and as of yet, the plan does not exist. Improving the country's literacy is a lengthy challenge. But for now, it seems like the government is focused on asking questions that have been answered countless times before. For any meaningful progress, the government must introduce action, not just rhetoric.