Pakistan declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, enrolling 26 million school-age children unregistered for formal education, the most in the world.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced in Islamabad that the government would declare a formal state of emergency to tackle the difficult task of getting children back to school.
This declaration will enable the mobilization of funds and resources and will make this issue a priority for governments.
Sharif said a combination of policy and management tools and incentives will be introduced to encourage parents to send their children to classrooms.
“This is a challenge that requires resources and commitment. It is difficult, but not impossible,” Sharif said at a ceremony attended by diplomats, ministers and education experts.
Pakistan is a nuclear-capable Islamic republic of about 240 million people, but education has lagged behind due to decades of conflict, political and economic uncertainty, poverty and, more recently, the effects of climate change.
According to United Nations statistics, approximately 26 million children between the ages of 5 and 16, or nearly 40 percent of all children attending school, do not receive formal education.
This is the highest number of children out of school in any country.
The UK Department for International Development and the United Nations will provide Pakistan with resources and technical support for this programme.
British High Commissioner in Islamabad Jane Marriott said: “Pakistan is facing an education crisis and we must address it now.”
(dpa/NAN)
