Daily Times

The recently launched National Human Development Report (NHDR) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan, titled Unleashing the potential of a Young Pakistan, came with startling revelations. It reveals that Pakistan currently has the largest generation of youth ever recorded in its history, making it one of the youngest countries in the world and the second youngest in South Asia. It raises concerns that Pakistan’s youth bulge is potentially a ticking time bomb.

In Pakistan, 64 percent of the total population is below the age of 30 and 29 percent is between the ages of 15-29 years. The study further reveals that youth between the ages of 15-29 years make up 41.6 percent of the total labour force. This requires creation of 4.5 million new jobs over the next five years. Unfortunately around 25 percent of the Pakistani youth is illiterate whereas 8.2 percent is unemployed with no vocational and technical skills. Further, 76.9 percent youth in Pakistan leave education for financial reasons while the state spends only 2.2 percent of its budget on education as compared to the 3.6 percent on defence.

Pakistan’s acute youth bulge poses a serious challenge to the government which, unfortunately, it is miserably failing to address. Pakistan is not going through a generational shift; it already has. Pakistan will remain a nation of youth until at least 2050. The youth demands empowerment through better education, employment opportunities and meaningful engagement.

The current educational net enrolment growth rate of the country is a poor 0.92 percent, meaning the target of zero out-of-school children will take another 60 years to achieve. Not only is the quality of education in Pakistan poor but it is also unacceptable as most employers complain that potential recruits are not ready to take on their respective job responsibilities. This issue is further aggravated by the fact that we still have multiple educational systems for different social classes. The Prime Ministers Youth Programme has miserably fallen short of providing education opportunities to the millions of youth desiring to obtain basic and higher level education. While funds are being diverted to controversial programmes such as the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme, graduates often lack exposure and rigour due to obsolete, theory-based education system dependent on rote learning rather than aptitude building and creative problem solving.

We must collectively work to provide a more conducive environment for the youth to prosper

The most talented of Pakistan’s youth is looking for opportunities elsewhere. Through international programmes such as the US Fulbright scholarship, and free of cost universities in countries like Germany, students are able to acquire quality education that includes creative thinking and ingenuity. Unfortunately most of these youngsters who benefit from such opportunities choose to remain in these countries resulting in a major brain drain from Pakistan. Pakistan can learn from models such as Canada where cooperative education is given preference. This model combines classroom-based education with practical work experience making students ready to practically join the workforce. Similarly, in Germany, students are provided vocational education. Pakistan will greatly benefit from an educational system that comprises of early career counselling and vocational guidance programmes, starting from secondary schools to universities.

The government needs to divert greater funds towards educational loans especially for those seeking and deserving post graduate degrees. Moreover, entrepreneurship needs to be encouraged through seed funding for tech start-ups, engagement of micro-finance institutions for establishing and supporting small and medium enterprises (SME) sectors and business facilitation centres alongside road shows and investment conferences.

Since almost two-thirds of the country is below the age of 30, the youth is a demographic reality that must be seen and heard. Meaningful engagement is the final ingredient that will transform the youth bulge from a challenge to a glorious opportunity. Many young active leaders are working in isolation on political mainstreaming and civic education of youth through different media working for activism in diverse fields of labour rights, human rights, politics, arts, science and technology.

Activism of youth must be interconnected and an open debate on the country’s future and identity must be encouraged in order to reach an authentic discourse on democracy and human rights. The energy, desire and motivation in our youth to contribute to our nation is unparalleled. The youth is shouting because it wants to and must be heard. When the youth is not heard it creates severe social and political ramifications including an increase in crime and militancy. Political parties must encourage the youth to actively participate in society and politics. The PPP is one good example having a very large and active youth wing, namely Peoples Youth Organization, that has developed and honed young leaders who have gone on to become successful parliamentarians.

The Sindh government recently announced a new youth policy that includes promising proposals such as establishing a youth commission, information systems for documenting youth, placement bureaus, incubation centres at universities, skill development and financial assistance for entrepreneurship to name a few. It also promises a revival of student unions which is essential for youth engagement.

Pakistan has already gone through a dark couple of decades with tragedies such as the APS massacre that has traumatised its youth severely. We must collectively work to provide a more conducive environment for the youth to prosper. I am certain if the right policies are made and implemented by 2050 the youth will harbour a new era of progress and development.

The writer is a former Pakistani diplomat and currently chairman of an NGO. Twitter @nadirgabol

Published in Daily Times, May 25^th 2018.