perspective-child rights - Page 4

Insights From the 2023 Census Report

The 2023 Census conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released its complete report in July 2024 indicates that the total population of Pakistan is 240 million out of which the population of children under 18 is 112 Million (47% of the total population). Children Population (under 18) Population under 18 Total Male Female Transgender Pakistan 112,472,700 58,099,978 54,370,121 2,601…

The Case for Teaching Punjabi in Schools

THE chief minister of Punjab, Ms Maryam Nawaz, has said that Punjabi will be taught across schools in the province. This was announced at the Punjab Culture Day ceremony last week. It is a welcome announcement. Some 80 million people speak Punjabi in Pakistan and, worldwide, Punjabi speakers number around…

The Role of Parents in Shaping Pakistan’s Education Future

PAKISTAN’S education system faces significant challenges on two fronts. Firstly, there is…

Ghost Schools

KARACHI: Apropos the letter “Ghost Teachers” published on September 19, 2024, the…

Ending Polio

WITH polio cases in Pakistan rising sharply in recent weeks, the government has unveiled the National Emergency Action Plan for Polio 2024-25. The country has already reported 39 cases this year, compared to just six in 2023. The spike has raised concerns about our ability to eradicate the virus, with…

Classroom Change

AS the world gets smaller, with knowledge-sharing across borders, the growth of AI and easy access to free learning platforms, teachers find newer ways of teaching. Many schools have addressed the need for change, collaborating within their teams to design better lesson plans, cater to students’ changing learning styles, and…

Educational Divide

WHILE basic education is a constitutional right of every child in Pakistan, millions of children and youth remain deprived of this fundamental means of living a quality life. The recently launched District Education Performance Index (DEPI) by the Ministry of Planning and Development represents a significant step towards comparing the…

Diphtheria Threat

Karachi faces a diphtheria outbreak, with 28 child deaths in 2023, exposing gaps in vaccination and critical care. Pakistan’s healthcare system continues to show cracks as another preventable tragedy unfolds in Karachi. This year, 28 children have lost their lives to diphtheria – a bacterial disease that could have been…

Subpar Schooling

Delhi Government Boys School, Karimabad, tops Karachi’s Matric exams after 28 years, ongoing education issues. After a gap of 28 years, a government school – Delhi Government Boys School, Karimabad – has secured the top position in the recent secondary board examinations in Karachi. The last time a government-run school…

Pakistan’s Kafkaesque Identity Problem

Khadija Hafiz was looking to buy a black cloth for her lawyer’s gown at Lahore’s Liberty Market when a man approached her. “Are you a lawyer?” he asked, looking at the black coat she had on, before adding, “I need your help, please.” A daily wage labourer, Ahmed* told Khadija…

Child Protection

A FEW weeks ago, an 11-year-old girl in Karachi was kidnapped, tortured, raped, and murdered. Her body was discarded in a garbage dump. The Sindh Police responded swiftly, and apprehended the suspect. The culprit may face justice. But is this the end of the story? Unfortunately, such horrifying incidents are…

EDUCATION: THE STATE OF SCHOOLING IN PAKISTAN

With nearly 67 percent of its population below the age of 30, Pakistan stands as one of the youngest nations in the world. This vast youth bulge presents us with a golden opportunity to capitalise on a potential “demographic dividend,” while also presenting the challenge of providing adequate services, jobs…

Schools And Climate

AS a mother of two school-going children, the record-breaking heatwave experienced in Karachi this year has heightened my concern about the growing impact of climate change on our children’s health, safety, and education. According to the Asian Development Bank, heatwave days in Pakistan increased by 31 days annually between 1980…

Malnutrition Epidemic

MALNUTRITION has been a primary factor in Pakistan’s disease burden for many years. Recently, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, along with representatives from Unicef and Fafen, observed that malnutrition costs Pakistan approximately 3pc of its GDP and highlighted the country’s status as the second highest in diabetic patients, laying significant emphasis…