A new official report has revealed that Pakistan’s education delivery system has become dysfunctional and all the 134 districts barring Islamabad were lagging behind on indicators ranging from learning outcomes to public financing. The findings of the Planning Commission’s District Education Performance Index Report 2023 underscored the human resource crisis in Pakistan where people are entering into job markets either with no or low education. For many, the crisis was worse than the economic
Child Rights in Focus
LAHORE: Police recovered remains of the body of a minor girl who was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by her father’s friend for ransom in the Batapur area. Police recovered her clothes, hair, and bones from the nearby jungle of Batapur, suspecting that the wild animals had attacked and eaten most parts of her body. Fajar (6), daughter of Arshad, was kidnapped two weeks back when she was playing in the street and suspect Kashif
ISLAMABAD: Girls made a near-clean sweep by clinching 13 of the top 15 positions in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Examinations 2024 conducted by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE). According to results declared by the board at a ceremony at Islamabad College for Girls, F-11/3, 16 girls were among the 20 position holders (some of them sharing the positions) and 14 belonged to various educational institutions in the Potohar
As the planet bakes in the hottest summer ever, with each passing month warmer than the last, the climate crisis is depriving children of some of their basic human rights and reducing opportunities for them to secure and live a decent life. Extreme weather events linked to climate change disproportionately affect children’s health and lives. We are facing a child rights crisis, a situation that is already alarming in poor regions that are hit
ISLAMABAD: An official report released on 23 August placed the country’s education system in the ‘low’ performance category and highlighted critical areas requiring attention to improve education outcomes. The District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) Report 2020-23 released by the Planning Commission stated, “Pakistan’s national average score in the DEPIx is 53.46, placing the country in the “low” performance category. Among the five domains, infrastructure and access scored the highest at 58.95, indicating some progress in expanding
KARACHI: In a case of corporal punishment in a Korangi 1½ madressah, a minor orphan child was beaten by a seminary teacher with a thorny stick only for not memorising his lessons, said Korangi-SSP Tauheed Rehman Memon on August 22. The seven-year-old boy, Maaz, received injuries on different parts of his body and serious injuries on his hands and arms. The teacher went missing after the incident. The SSP took notice when a video
OURS is a society where parents start planning their daughter’s marriage soon after she is born. Here the social compulsion for couples to prove their fertility is so great that they have their first child within a year or so after tying the knot. Worse still, women are desperate to produce a son to protect their marriage and preserve their marital status. On top of that, we are so prudish that talking about family
RAWALPINDI: Two minor schoolgirls were killed and six others injured when gunmen opened fire on a school van in Dheri Kot village located in the foothills of Kala Chitta Pahar in the jurisdiction of Saddar Model Police Station, Attock. The shooting took place on the morning of 22 August. The authorities blamed it on a longstanding feud, according to a spokesman for the regional police officer (RPO). Driver Afzal, a resident of Dheri Kot,
SUKKUR: Ghotki police on 21st August 2024 claimed to have recovered a young girl, who had gone missing in Karachi, and arrested members of a gang involved in abducting children and selling them. Police officials said that they conducted a raid on a place along a road leading into a riverine area in the Ghotki district and recovered the girl. The action was taken on the directives of Ghotki SSP Dr Sumair Noor Channa
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture on 21 August formed a subcommittee to monitor the performance of Islamabad-based schools and colleges. The committee, which met with Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi in the chair, discussed various agenda items, including education facilities in capital’s educational institutions. After getting a briefing from the education ministry and after noticing concerns of MNA Khurram Nawaz, who had been stating that
PESHAWAR: An award-winning short film, showcasing climate change and the significance of girls’ education, was screened at Bacha Khan Markaz here on 20th August 2024. The short film titled ‘Khobuna Da Sparlee’ (dreams of Spring) was produced under the auspices of the Awami National Party (ANP). It has won first position in a recent short film competition. The short film was termed a successful attempt aimed at raising awareness among people on environmental hazards
PESHAWAR: The health department will establish autism therapeutic clinics in 10 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure free rehabilitation of the 150,000 children diagnosed with the disease in the province. These clinics will operate on a no-profit-no-loss basis, ensuring affordable care for all affected children in Peshawar, Haripur, Mardan, Charsadda, Mansehra, Swabi, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, and Dir, targeting both urban and remote areas, according to a press release issued here on Tuesday.