The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) has warned that government functionaries, judiciary and civil society have to be strengthened to counter and prevent growing cases of online harassment of children. In a report, `Situational analysis of child online protection in Pakistan’, the NCRC said while many children had access to mobile phone, video games and internet, which offered tremendous benefits for learning, they also faced a number of risks. `Children may
Child Rights in Focus
Laila* first met Adeel* at a fine dining restaurant along the coastline of Karachi city, after eight months of online dating on Instagram. She was then 20, he 21. The two talked for hours as the golden sun set, meeting the horizon of the sea. Laila described Adeel as the kindest, most caring man she ever met, and wanted to settle down with him as soon as they both reached their mid-twenties and became
Sahil’s annual report ‘Cruel Numbers 2023’ provides detailed analysis of child abuse cases reported in Pakistani media throughout the year. The report aims to document the scale of child sexual abuse (CSA) and other forms of violence against children to raise awareness and inform legal reform efforts. Key findings of the 2023 report include: A total of 4213 cases of child abuse were reported, comprising 2021 CSA cases, 1833 abduction cases, 330 missing children
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan 2023 presents findings from the national household-based learning assessment conducted across both rural and urban areas of Pakistan. Methodology: Rural survey covered 151 districts, with 30 villages sampled per district and 20 households surveyed in each village. Urban survey covered 123 districts using stratified sampling designed by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, with 30 blocks sampled per district and 20 households surveyed in each block. A total
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a survey of the quality of education. ASER seeks to identify gaps in educational data by looking to provide a reliable set of data at the national level, that is comprehensive and, at the same time, easy to understand. This year, ASER Rural Survey was conducted in 151 districts across Pakistan between October-December 2023. A total of 272,370 children aged 3-16 were assessed. Some key findings:
The research paper titled “Impact of Education Mismatch on Earnings: Evidence from Pakistan’s Labor Market” examines the relationship between education mismatch and earnings in Pakistan. The study aims to provide insights into the impact of education mismatch on the labor market and the earnings of individuals. The paper highlights that Pakistan have made significant investments in their education sector to enhance human capital. However, due to poor governance institutions, stagnant labor markets, and low
The policy note titled “Falling Through the Cracks: Allocations versus Expenditures in Education Finance” highlights the issue of underspending in the education sector in Pakistan. Despite an increase in the total education budget, underspend remains a significant problem. Pakistan’s investment in education, at 1.7% of GDP, is below the international norms of 4% minimum or allocating 20% of the total budget to education. Only Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) met the 20% benchmark in
The report “Educational Exclusion of Children with Special Needs” published by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) examines the challenges faced by children with special needs in accessing quality education in Pakistan using data from the Pakistan Social Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) 2019-20. It analyzes the various factors that contribute to educational exclusion, including societal attitudes, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of trained teachers. The key findings are: Only 31% of persons with disabilities
According to a news report, President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi on 7 March 2024 announced a special exemption in the punishments of women and child prisoners on humanitarian grounds. The remission would be applicable to women and children sentenced for two years or less and to those with less than two years of sentence left to complete, a news release from the President’s Office said. The reduction in sentence would not apply to
Child brides make up half of the women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who suffer from psychological and physical health issues, according to expert Dr Lubna Safeer. Such women are provided counselling and healthcare in two districts of Hazara Division, but these services should be extended to other areas as well, Dr Lubna of the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Project told Dawn here. She said the project was initiated by the government in Mansehra, Malakand,
According to a news report, the education ministry has finally shown interest in formulating a new education policy after years long delay. At present, the country is following an education policy framed back in 2009. ‘The first meeting of the National Advisory Committee to formulate the National Education Policy 2024 for Pakistan was held on 6 March 2024,’ said Special Secretary Education Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani. Speaking to Dawn, Mr Wani, who presided over the
The education department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has removed a primary schoolteacher for assaulting one of his students, official sources said here on 3rd March 2024. A letter issued from the office of district education officer (male) Mukhtar Ahmed Khan on 2nd March, Sohail Akhtar, senior primary schoolteacher, posted to government primary school No 1, Kotnajibullah, and later transferred to government primary school, Gulu Bandi,on a complaint, was suspended from service on March 18, 2023,