District Badin will be a key battleground during the upcoming elections. It has close proximity to the Arabian Sea’s coastline. It lies east of the Indus River, and witnessed heavy devastation in terms of livestock, crops, and shelter, during the 2010 flashfloods. Despite the odds it faces, the area is suitable for paddy crops and is rich in natural resources such as coal reserves and oil.
In my opinion, the general election 2018 seems to be a tough contest between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) candidates in the district. In the previous elections, PPP was successful in grabbing National Assembly and Sindh Assembly seats in the district.
Previous governments could not make any improvements for education in the district despite its importance. We can get an idea of where the education system stands by reviewing the 2018 report from Alif Ailaan, which says that the district has a 37 per cent literacy rate for children aged 10 and above.
Of the 3,035 schools in the area, around 94 percent are primary schools. This means that anyone looking to further their education is going to face a problem. Many children have been forced to discontinue their education because of a lack of higher education institutes. The enrolment of girls is already a question mark, so the situation is obviously much worse for them.
The situation is further aggravated by the small number of female teachers in the education system. As per the report, the teaching faculty in the district accounts for only 18 percent of female teachers, and this adversely affects education for young girls.
The issue is that the problem of education is not one that politicians and voters care about. Contesting candidates visit different villages and offer roads, jobs, and electricity — but not education.
While these issues are also important issues, however, genuine impetus towards development and prosperity,and a long-lasting solution, can only result from education.However, it is not even the part of discourse. The reason for this situation is that our public is used to quick fixes. This approach pushes them further into a quagmire of unseen problems, and jeopardises the future of their children.
Of the 3,035 schools in Badin, around 94 percent are primary schools. This means that anyone looking to further their education is going to face a problem
A positive change is bound to happen only through education. But the district is still being seen silent over the issue of more than 500 school shelters devoid of all modern facilities, which if provided can ensure quality education.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the voters registered in the district number at around 756,029. What if all registered voters come forward to demand all contesting candidates to improve the status of education in the district? What if all candidates pledge to prioritise education in their manifestoes? Then no power can stop the change from happening.
Keeping in view these problems, I would like to suggest that all stakeholders consider the critical issue of education and avoid quick fixes that lead us down a road that goes nowhere.
The author is Badin based freelance writer
Published in Daily Times, July 23rd 2018.