Report
On
Literacy in Pakistan
Submitted To: Ma’am Asma
Submitted By:
Roll No. 5111
BS English (Tesol) 4th Morning
Department of English
University of Okara
Report
Submission Date: 5th May, 2021
Reported To: Mam Asma
Reported By:
Subject: Literacy in Pakistan
Introduction:
Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate
effectively and make sense of the world. The traditional definition of literacy is considered to
be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak.
Literacy skills are all the skills needed for reading and writing. They include such things as
awareness of the sounds of language, awareness of print, and the relationship between letters
and sounds. Other literacy skills include vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension. Briefly,
it is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using
printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.
The purpose of the report is to bring awareness about the literacy level in Pakistan and to
evaluate such efficient measures that may stable its rate. This report may help us to make us
sensible about the illiteracy destructions and its remedies with the help of statistical data
provided by the international, national and other government agencies. The report may help
us to upscale the literacy rate in Pakistan.
Project Description:
Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in South Asia at 49.9 percent. The male
literacy rate is 61.7 percent and the female literacy rate is 35.2 percent. Literacy rate in
Pakistan 2017. The literacy rate measures the percentage of people aged 15 and above who
are able to read and write. In 2017, Pakistan's total literacy rate was around 59 percent, with
less than 47 percent of women being literate and more than 71 percent of men. Issues such as
illiteracy are linked to poverty and lack of basic needs. Feudalism and patriarchy leadership
has kept females especially from receiving adequate education. Different steps have been
taken worldwide for the control illiteracy. Even with less resources Pakistan also taken
rigorous measures like designed special steps. Some highlighted efforts are;
o Improved Education System
The education system in Pakistan is generally divided into six levels: preschool (for the
age from 3 to 5 years), primary (grades one through five), middle (grades six through
eight), high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate or
SSC), intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School
Certificate or HSSC), and university programs leading
to undergraduate and graduate degrees. This division helps to regulate education in Pakistan.
o Human Rights Measurement
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative is one such organization that measures the
right to education in Pakistan. It calculates how well a country is doing to respect a right
compared to what is possible at its level of income. In 2017, the HRMI found that the
Pakistani government was only doing 43.3% of what was possible.
o Technical and Vocational Education
Education plays a crucial role in developing countries by transmitting necessary life skills
to the future citizens. Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) raised attention
because education helps prepare students for future employment. TVET classes also offer
money management lessons, personal and family health practices, and healthcare
information.
o Distance Learning
The Ministry of Education is also trying to develop instructional programming for
radio since Teleschool isn't available to the nation's poorest families. Because of COVID-19,
Pakistan had to consider using online classes. However, many students, especially in rural
areas, do not have access to the Internet. Digital education has been started in many of the
educational institution in Pakistan to utilize time efficiently during the current time.
o Constitution
Article 25-A of Constitution of Pakistan obligates the state to provide free and
compulsory quality education to children of the age group 5 to 16 years. "The State shall
provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in
such a manner as may be determined by law".
o NGO’s
Many NGO’s like Bunyad Foundation, The Citizens Foundation, Idara E Taleem O
Aagahi, Taleem for All Trust. The Citizens Foundation (TCF) is a professionally managed,
non-profit organization set up in 1995 by a group of citizens who wanted to bring about
positive social change through education. 25 years later, TCF is now one of Pakistan's
leading organizations in the field of education for the less privileged.
Work Completed:
The Pakistan Economic Survey revealed that the country's literacy rate increased by two
percent to 60% in 2018-19 from 58% in 2015-16. Furthermore, Government of Pakistan
announced many policies to avoid this problem such as many sectors including educational
institutions are being supervised critically.
Problems:
Some of the causes of low literacy in adults are:
Undiagnosed learning disabilities
Hearing or vision loss
Lack of a role model, i.e. no one in the family or household stresses reading or
education
Poverty or a focus on survival needs rather than education
Violence in the community or fear of violence
Moving from one school to another throughout childhood, so that education didn’t
make sense and didn’t fit together
Leaving school at a young age to care for a sick or dying family member
Leaving school at a young age to provide income for the family
Living in a refugee camp where education was minimal or not available
Being a foreigner and needing to learn English as a second language
Summary:
Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate
effectively and make sense of the world. The traditional definition of literacy is considered to
be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak.
This report based at past educational developments in Pakistan through case study and its
analysis with the present world. It primarily addressed the causes of illiteracy in Pakistan, and
overcame the flaws of earlier works. Pakistani government claims that they have
accomplished significantly in the educational development. Pakistani law requests
government to provide free basic education system to every citizen of Pakistan. However, the
enrollment rate has remained below 60%. Similarly, literacy rate has also remained below
60%. Therefore, the government and other stakeholders in education sector could not perform
well enough to provide the impressive results so far but government is doing what.it can. So,
we hope for betterment in Pakistani educational system to eradicate illiteracy.
