Without education it is complete darkness

http://www.theeducationwatchpakistan.org/

‘Without education it is complete darkness and with education it is light. Education is a matter of life and death to our nation. The world is moving so fast that if you do not educate yourselves you will be not only completely left behind, but will be finished up. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) had enjoined his followers to go even to China in the pursuit of knowledge. If that was the commandment in those days when communications were difficult, then, truly, Muslims as the true followers of the glorious heritage of Islam, should surely utilize all available opportunities. No sacrifice of time or personal comfort should be regarded too great for the advancement of the cause of education’ Said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinah . To what extend we have taken Quaid’s saying seriously? What we have done with education? Are we not in a complete darkness? Have we not left behind? Today, Pakistan is crippled by an education emergency that threatens tens of millions of children. Now our education system in state of emergency and this emergency has disastrous human, social and economic consequences, and threatens the security of the country. It is a state of shame that one in ten of the world’s out-of-school children is a Pakistani. That is the equivalent of the entire population of Lahore. There are 26 countries poorer than Pakistan but send more of their children to school. Only 35 per cent of school children, aged 6-16, can read a story, while 50 per cent cannot read a sentence. Their performance is only slightly better than that of out-of-school children, of whom 24 per cent can read a story. This alarmingly demonstrates the ineffectiveness of schooling. 30,000 school buildings are in dangerous condition, posting a threat to the well being of children. Whereas 21,000 schools have no building whatsoever. 1.2 million children live on the street in Pakistan's major cities and urban centres. Certain regions have particularly striking problems: for example, 97 per cent of the female population in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) cannot read and nearly half of all five to nine year olds do not attend primary school. Of the 6.8 million currently estimated to be out of school in Pakistan, at least 4.2 million are girls (World Bank, 2008). In some parts of Baluchistan, adult female literacy ranges from one to three per cent – one of the lowest levels across the world In Sindh, in Jacobabad District1, only seven per cent of girls complete primary school compared to 40 per cent for boys. Over 10 districts have fewer than a fifth of girls completing primary school. There is a zero per cent chance that the government will reach the millennium development goals by 2015 on education. We are spending only 2% of our GDP for education. Even that is not used properly. We have signed universal declaration and promised the world to educate our children. But those are just sign.