The article "Cumulative Education Expenditures Show Decline" likely reports on a downward trend in total spending allocated to education. This decline may reflect budget cuts, shifting priorities, or economic constraints impacting educational funding.
Boston Brand Media looked into the fiscal year 2023, the cumulative education expenditures by federal and provincial governments in Pakistan decreased as a percentage of GDP. It is estimated that these expenditures amounted to 1.5% of GDP, down from 1.7% of GDP in the previous year. This decline highlights a reduction in the allocation of financial resources towards education compared to the overall economic output of the country during this period.
The Economic Survey 2023-24 highlighted significant developments and challenges in Pakistan's education sector. Here are the key points:
Expenditure Increase: Education-related expenditures during fiscal year 2023 rose by 13.6%, amounting to Rs 1,251.06 billion compared to Rs 1,101.7 billion in the previous year.
Survey Context: The Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey for 2021-22 was not conducted due to the scheduled Population and Housing Census 2022. Therefore, data from the latest surveys regarding Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) and Net Enrollment Ratio (NER) were used for analysis.
Literacy Rates:some text
The overall literacy rate for 2020-21 was 62.8%, up from 62.4% in 2018-19.
Male literacy increased slightly from 73.0% to 73.4%, while female literacy rose from 51.5% to 51.9% during the same period.
Rural literacy increased marginally from 53.7% to 54.0%, and urban literacy improved from 76.1% to 77.3%.
All provinces showed improvements: Punjab (66.1% to 66.3%), Sindh (61.6% to 61.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (52.4% to 55.1%), and Balochistan (53.9% to 54.5%).
Gender Disparities:some text
Overall literacy rates indicated a narrowing gender gap over time, although males still have higher literacy rates than females across all age groups.
Youth literacy (15-24 years) was 72% (male: 79%, female: 65%), highlighting disparities in educational opportunities.
Out-of-School Children (OOSC):some text
In the PSLM 2019-20, the national OOSC rate was 32%, with higher rates among females (37%) compared to males (27%).
Provincial disparities were significant: Punjab (24%), Sindh (44%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (32%), and Balochistan (47%), with higher rates of female OOSC in all provinces.
These findings underscore both progress and persistent challenges in Pakistan's education sector, including gender disparities and regional inequalities in access to education.
For questions or comments write to writers@bostonbrandmedia.com
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