KARACHI: The academic year in schools across Sindh started in April but despite the passage of around two months, there is a persistent shortage of textbooks for classes one to matric as hardly any class’s complete course pack is available in the market. A visit to the Urdu Bazaar has shown that there is a particular shortage of mathematics, English, biology, Urdu and Islamic studies books at most stores while even other books are
Child Rights in Focus
BAJAUR: A student was injured after he was allegedly tortured by teacher of a government primary school in Lowi Mamond tehsil here on 31st May, the victim’s father and police said. Talking to reporters, Mohammad Bilal, a resident of Kitkoot area, alleged his 11-year-old son, Mohammad Hazrat, a student of Government Primary School, Kitkoot No 1, was wounded after teacher, Zoobir Khan, beat him up with a stick. Accompanied by family members and villagers,
GILGIT: Despite rain and winds in different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan on 31st May, government schoolteachers continued to boycott classes and hold a protest sit-in for a sixth consecutive day to press the authorities for their one-point agenda of long overdue promotions. Academic activities at government schools across Gilgit-Baltistan have been suspended since last week, as thousands of teachers announced that they would call off their protest only when their single-point demand was fulfilled. For the
QUETTA: Media professionals issued a powerful call for the government to prioritise the protection and preservation of the country’s future potential through child-focused interventions. These include improving child survival, enhancing cognitive development through nutritional support, ensuring equal educational opportunities, and promoting child-responsive budgeting. A key strategy for achieving these outcomes is enabling parents to plan their families in line with their resources and aspirations — avoiding unwanted, mistimed, and closely spaced pregnancies through enhanced
LAHORE: Leaders of the Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC), including President Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair and Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, have condemned the recently passed child marriage law, calling it un-Islamic and unconstitutional. In a joint statement issued on May 30, the MYC leaders vowed to launch a nationwide protest in consultation with all religious parties, saying the government disregarded Islamic injunctions and constitutional values. “The government’s move to enact this law, despite the
Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Indicators in Pakistan Indicator Value (%) Early initiation of breastfeeding 20 Exclusive breastfeeding (0-5 months) 48 Continued breastfeeding (12-23 months) All children 63 Continued breastfeeding (12-23 months) (Poorest 20%) 67 Continued breastfeeding (12-23 months) (Richest 20%) 60 Children consuming foods (6-23 months) <=2 food groups (severe food poverty) 38 Children consuming foods (6-23 months) 3−4 food groups (moderate food poverty) 47 Children consuming foods (6-23 months) At
Top 20 Most Polluted Cities of the World in 2024 Rank City Country 1 Byrnihat India 2 Delhi India 3 Karaganda Kazakhstan 4 Mullanpur India 5 Lahore Pakistan 6 Faridabad India 7 N’Djamena Chad 8 Loni India 9 New Delhi India 10 Multan Pakistan 11 Peshawar Pakistan 12 Sialkot Pakistan 13 Gurugram India 14 Ganganagar India 15 Hotan China 16 Greater Noida India 17 Bhiwadi India 18 Muzaffarnagar India 19 Hanumangarh India 20
Repeaters by Stage, Gender and Location (Public Sector 2023-24) Class Urban Rural Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Pre-Primary Un-Admitted 319 314 633 1922 1767 3689 2241 2081 4322 Kachi 8642 12176 20818 45138 50122 95260 53780 62298 116078 Total 8961 12490 21451 47060 51889 98949 56021 64379 120400 Primary Class 1 5639 6378 12017 21207 19493 40700 26846 25871 52717 Class 2 4497 4765 9262 15954 14602 30556
Disaster-Related Schooling Disruption in Rural Pakistan Province Extremely Affected (%) Extremely or Moderately Affected (%) National 20 29 Punjab 22 23 Sindh 25 42 Balochistan 17 36 KP 13 16 AJK 34 36 GB 27 28 Source: ASER Report 2023 * Household Self-Reports on Whether Children’s Schooling Has Been Affected by Any Natural Disaster in the Past Year – Rural
Top 5 Most Polluted Countries in 2024 Based on Annual Average PM2.5 Concentrations Rank Country PM2.5 Level (µg/m³) Times Higher than WHO Guideline 1 Chad 91.8 18× 2 Bangladesh 78 15× 3 Pakistan 73.7 14× 4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 58.2 11× 5 India 50.6 10× Source: IQAir – World Air Quality Report 2024
Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI): Global Rankings and Pakistan’s Position CCRI Rank Country Climate & Environmental Factors Child Vulnerability Children’s Climate Risk Index 1 Central African Republic 6.7 9.8 8.7 2 Chad 7 9.4 8.5 3 Nigeria 8.8 8.1 8.5 4 Guinea 7.7 8.9 8.3 5 Guinea-Bissau 6.4 9.5 8 6 Somalia 7.3 8.4 7.9 7 Niger 7.3 8.3 7.8 8 South Sudan 6.8 9 7.9 9 Democratic Republic of the Congo 7.2
Micronutrient Deficiencies in Children (6-59 months) Region Anaemia Iron Deficiency Vitamin A Deficiency Vitamin D Deficiency Zinc Deficiency Pakistan 53.7 28.6 51.5 62.7 18.6 ICT 24.3 16.8 43.3 44.6 9.9 Balochistan 70.5 23.1 58.5 70.9 21.8 KP 60.8 20.3 46.7 77 18.6 Punjab 52.1 29.7 49.1 70.7 18 Sindh 51.1 32.4 57.8 37 19.2 Source: NNS 2018