Pakistan literacy rate remains stagnant at 60%

The survey has shown that net enrolments at the primary, middle, and matric levels across provinces have either remained stagnant or shown decreasing trends…reports Asian Lite News

A new survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has revealed that the country’s literacy rate among children aged 10 and above has stagnated at 60 per cent.

The survey has shown that net enrolments at the primary, middle, and matric levels across provinces have either remained stagnant or shown decreasing trends, The Express Tribune reported on Sunday.

Enrolments at all levels are highest in Punjab, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Sindh while they are the lowest in Balochistan, it said.

“There are 32 per cent children aged five-16 years who are currently out of school; highest percentage of out of school children is in Balochistan (47 per cent) and lowest in Punjab (26 per cent),” the PBS survey said.

“Rajanpur in Punjab, Thatta in Sindh, Kohistan and Bajur in the K-P and Harnai, Qillah Abdullah and Ziarat (in Balochistan) are at the bottom in education indicators within their respective provinces,” it added.

According to Unesco data, the literacy rate among people aged 15 and above in Pakistan as of September 2020 stood at 59 per cent.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Sunday reported its lowest number of positive coronavirus results in three months, as life returns to normal and business activity and educational institutions reopen gradually.

The national positivity ratio was recorded at 4.96 per cent, its lowest since March, according to the Health Ministry.

There were 3,084 new cases out of the 62,061 tests conducted during the last 24 hours. Pakistan has so far recorded 900,522 cases and 20,251 deaths.

Most of the deaths occurred during the ongoing third wave, as a majority of the new patients were infected by a variant first found in Britain.

A downward trend in the number of new infections encouraged authorities to ease coronavirus-related restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus.

National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the body responsible for the country’s response to the pandemic, will allow the reopening of markets, businesses and educational institutions in districts where Covid-19 positivity ratio is less than 5 per cent, to start on Monday.

Meanwhile, educational institutions nationwide will be reopened in a staggered manner from June 7.

The tourism sector will also be reopened under strict Covid-19 protocols, also starting on Monday.

Meanwhile, a free vaccination drive has started picking up pace, with reports of more than 5 million doses administered.

A Health Ministry spokesperson said that more vaccination centres are being set up across the country as more people are getting themselves registered.
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