PAKISTAN'S CROWNING PARAMETER : EDUCATION ESSAY

 

Prime Minister Imran Khan launches ''Ehsaas Education Stipends''. Under this accomplishment and honor, boys and girls at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels to get quarterly stipends.

PM Imran Khan on Wednesday said the government was making efforts to ensure the inclusion of 20 million out of school children in the educational system, and, for this purpose planned to give financial incentive to their parents to encourage their enrollment in schools.

Addressing the launch of Ehsaas Education Stipends programme in the federal capital, the premier said ensuring education for all was a priority of the government.

He said stipends would play a role in encouraging parents to send their children, particularly girls, to schools.

Lauding the policy of  Ehsaas Stipends Programme to give higher amount to girls, PM Imran said an educated woman could contribute more positively towards the society.

Terming educated human resources a great asset for a nation, the premier stressed the need for the provision of educational opportunities to both boys and girls.

He said the western world was wrong to assume that Pakistani parents did not send their girls to school for education.

The Prime Minister recalled that during his visit to different parts of the country, he did not get to meet a single parent who opposed the right of education to their daughters.

There are other issues for low ratio of girls in schools, he said, adding that at times schools were far away and parents were worried for the safety of their daughters.

The premier said the government would take measures to weed out ghost schools and for that, it would use the latest technology to monitor schools, disburse stipends transparently and identify fake entries.

He underlined that it was primarily the responsibility of the government to provide the facility of education to all.

The Ehsaas Education Stipends programme aims at providing financial assistance to deserving households for the education of their children at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels.

Rolled out nationwide in 160 districts, the programme has been structured to give a higher amount of stipend to girls as compared to the boys.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Social Welfare Dr. Sania Nishtar said under the Ehsaas Education Stipends, the primary school boys would get quarterly stipends of Rs 1,500 and girls Rs 2,000.

Secondary school boys would get Rs 2,500 and girls Rs 3,000; and at higher secondary level, boys will get Rs 3,500 and girls Rs 4,000 a quarter.

She said all education stipends would be paid biometrically to mothers on the attainment of 70% attendance of their children.

Dr. Sania noted that as part of ''Post - Covid - Ehsaas Strategy'', Ehsaas Education Stipends would empower the deserving families to overcome financial burden and barriers in accessing higher education.

CURRENTLY, there are 18.7 million children in the age group of 6 to 16 who remain out of school in the country and the fall out of Covid-19 has also accentuated it.

The Demographic and Health Survey 2017 [ Kaplan and Meier estimates ] indicates that the drop out is highest for the poorest two quintiles in secondary education.

The Household Income and Expenditure Survey [1990 - 2018] featuring enrollment trends for both boys and girls in primary and secondary education reveals that girls are severely disadvantaged in initial enrollment levels for the poorest quintile and they drop out faster from grades 5-8.

The World Students Society thanks author The Express Tribune.