IslamabadcTypeface:> Pakistan on Wednesday declared an emergency to enrol 26 million children of school-going age who are not registered to seek formal education, the highest number in the world.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced in the capital Islamabad his government was imposing the formal emergency declaration to tackle the daunting task of wooing back children to school. The declaration allows for the mobilization of funds and resources, and puts the problem high on the government agenda.
A combination of policy and administrative tools would be deployed, as well as incentives to encourage parents to send their kids to the classroom, Sharif said.
“It’s a challenge that needs resources and commitment. It is difficult but not impossible,” Sharif said, addressing a ceremony that was attended by diplomats, ministers and education experts. Pakistan, a nuclear-capable Islamic republic with around 240 million population, is an education laggard due to decades of conflicts, political and economic uncertainty, poverty and, lately, the impact of climate change.
Around 26 million children between 5 and 16, or nearly 40 percent of the total kids of school-going age, are not enrolled for any formal education, according to the UN statistics.(DPA)
