Pakistan’s education hurdles
Is the Taliban solely to blame for Pakistan’s education crisis or does the root of the problem lie deeper?
A Pakistani school teacher instructing children at a school on the eve of World Teacher’s Day, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 04 October 2013. (EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB)
The story of Malala Yousafzai gripped much of the globe when her fight for better education in Pakistan took world stage. Much of Western conversation has been focused on the Taliban’s role in the crisis, but does the root of the problem lie deeper? According to UNICEF, twenty million Pakistani children are not in school, as government spending on the education sector hovers near a mere two percent. With accusations of corruption, lack of policy enforcement and a widening socio-economic divide, the country is now reportedly dealing with half a population that cannot read or write. So who is to blame and what can be done to remedy this problem? Join the conversation at 19:30GMT.
Check out our infographic on Pakistan’s educational system.
In this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Shiza Shahid @Shiza
CEO, Malala Fund
malalafund.org