Problems Confronting Elementary Education in Pakistan

The following situation exists in the primary and middle school education sub-sectors which posed obstacles in achieving the desired goals/targets:

• Low levels of participation at the primary and middle levels, especially of girls.Shortage of teachers, especially local female teachers in certain rural areas.
• Factors such as low salaries, low status of teachers and weak supervision have contributed towards absenteeism of teachers, particularly in rural areas.
• Inadequate pre-service and in-service training and lack of dedication and motivation in most of the teachers, especially when they are appointed on political basis.
• On the demand side, parents, and even children, are not interested in education since they do not understand its benefits. To them, education is only a means to employment. When parents see many educated persons still un-employed the rest of them lose their interest in sending their children to schools.
• The curriculum is mostly urban-oriented and hence not relevant to the daily life of rural children.
• Un-attractive school environment has resulted in poor retention and a high dropout rate.
• At the middle school level (Class VI-VIII), there, too, is a shortage of school facilities; and enrolments rates are much lower than primary enrolments, with wide gender and geographical (urban/rural) disparities.