Comment by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2013 at 9:47am

Here's a Dawn story on improving education in Pakistan's Punjab province:

ISLAMABAD: Most of the 36 districts in Punjab have made significant progress in education and 31 districts now have 90 per cent attendance, says a report prepared by Sir Michael Barber, a global expert on education reforms.

In his report entitled “The Good News from Pakistan”, Sir Barber has explained the story of the Punjab education sector reform programme, calling it “Punjab Schools Reforms Roadmap”.

He says teacher presence has risen steadily since the blip of October 2011 which was partly a result of the dengue fever outbreak. This level of teacher presence is far higher than elsewhere in Pakistan. In fact, it is now higher in Punjab than in any of the other 22 countries supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). These improvements are largely because of much-improved management and particularly due to squeezing unauthorised absence to below 1 per cent, the report says.

The report, however, says much remains to be done, especially in the south-western districts such as Rajanpur. Even so, it is worth pointing out that even Rajanpur now exceeds the province-wide average of two years ago.

World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, in his foreword to the report writes that Pakistan is an important country for the World Bank and the global community. Its success, whether in generating economic growth or strengthening its security, depends significantly on improving its education system.

The World Bank president paid tribute to the Punjab government for undertaking the education reform project, and said it was great to see the leadership and commitment of the provincial government in improving education results.

Former British Foreign Minister David Miliband, writing the preface of the publication, said that education could be more crucial to the future of Pakistan as well as the whole of South Asia. He said after visiting Pakistan he was convinced that Western engagement with Pakistan was unbalanced.

“Our aid programme would be rising fast — never mind that the country’s interdependence with neighbouring and war-torn Afghanistan — only added to my sense of urgency,” he writes.

British Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening stated that the Punjab Education Reform Roadmap has begun to achieve notable results in a short time through a combination of ambitious goal-setting, structured collaboration, international experience, use of evidence and sheer persistence.

Sir Barber, who is among the world’s leading education reformers, commented that “there is no reason why, in the very different context of the 21st century, Pakistan should not be famed once again for its beauty and richness. That depends above all on the education of its people.”

http://dawn.com/2013/03/28/punjab-surges-ahead-in-education-sector-...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2013 at 9:51am

Here's PakistanToday on higher education access in rural Sindh:

KARACHI - The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has paid special attention towards increasing access to higher education in remote areas of the country.
Within the last few years, out of a total of 55 new university campuses, 31 have been established in rural areas throughout Pakistan, an official of HEC said in a statement here on Sunday.
In Sindh, 179 development projects amounting to Rs 27.142 billion have been approved so far.
Per agreed share of Sindh in National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Rs 9.7 billion out of a total amount of Rs 43.9 billion, were released within the last five years, the statement pointed out.
On the request of the HEC, the federal quota policy had been applied over indigenous and foreign scholarship programmes that would enable and encourage the youth from Sindh province to avail scholarship opportunities exclusively available for them under faculty development programmes.
As many as 868 PhD scholarships have been allocated for the faculty members belonging to various higher education institutions of the province.
This step would also enable them to equip themselves with the latest knowledge and expertise at leading universities of academically advanced countries.
A total of 571 students from Sindh have benefitted from the HEC-USAID Merit and Need Based Scholarship Programme, out of a total of about 1,800 scholarships awarded till date. About 1,447 scholars and faculty members from Sindh presented their research work in leading international conferences abroad. Rs 164 million have been approved in this regard so far, the statement added.
It said that the HEC had funded a total number of 183 conferences and seminars so far.
Commenting on HEC initiatives for Sindh province, HEC Chairman Dr Javaid Laghari said that all the federal units have effective representation in 17 members' governing board of HEC and National Scholarship Management Committeee-the main decision making body.
For effective coordination with provincial governments, HEC had established its regional centres at all the provincial capitals, where a large number of HEC activities took place, he added.
Laghari said that through the Steering Committee, which comprises of all provincial secretaries of education, HEC was closely working with the provincial governments to evolve a joint strategy for promotion of higher education in the country.
He informed that establishment of the country’s first ever Date Palm Research Institute (DPRI)/ Glass House, Herbarium and Botanical Garden at Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, the USAID funded Centre for Advanced Studies in Water Resources at Mehran University of
Engineering and Technology Jamshoro and National Institute of Liver and Gastro Intestinal Diseases at DOW Karachi, were some of the examples of how HEC was reaching out to the people of Sindh.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/03/24/city/karachi/hec-to-make...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2013 at 10:01am

Here's an excerpt of a Dawn story on Pakistani political parties talking about human development:

Since the HDI was launched in the midst of elections that promise change in the country, the UNDP had invited representatives from the main political parties to speak at the event, and three showed up. The political panelists were Dr Farooq Sattar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Razina Alam of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Shafqat Mahmood of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and they spoke about the problems faced by Pakistan in the human development sector.

While Razina Alam, who is the former Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Education, Science and Technology spoke about the education manifesto of the PML-N and the schools they promise to build once they are in power, Dr Farooq Sattar got straight to the heart of the matter by asking from where would the additional resources for educational reforms be mobilized? He called for extensive tax reforms, pointing out that 70 per cent of our parliamentarians don’t file tax returns. In his view, “only where there is taxation should there be representation!” He pointed out that no one party could take Pakistan out of the quagmire in which it finds itself and that there needs to be a “national consensus on a minimal reformist agenda” to empower the people of Pakistan.

Shafqat Mahmood, who is the Central Secretary Information of the PTI, spoke next about the “education apartheid” in the country where we have English schools for the elite, Urdu schools for the masses and Madrassahs for the very poor. The PTI’s education manifesto calls for one syllabus across the country and he pointed out that the opposition to this idea comes mainly from the elite. “There is an elite capture of politics in this country. Billions were spent on a Motorway which benefits the elite who own cars while the railway, which is for the masses, was neglected and is now dying”. He called for the expansion of the political system to allow for the inclusion of middle-class youth to overcome this “disconnect” between the elite and the rest of the country. It is the same middle-classes who used to welcome military dictatorships in the past and if they are included in the political process they can help strengthen democracy in Pakistan.

He also referred to the Human Development Report, which lists the “best practices all over the world – what works and does not work” and called for greater consistency in policy in Pakistan (which has not come due to social/political instability in the country). The report, in fact, highlights the case of China, which pursued a long-term vision to build the necessary institutions and capacities for transforming its economy. According to the report, countries that have made significant achievements in human development could be characterised as “strong, proactive and responsible states”. The following four features are common to such states: (i) commitment to long-term development and reform, (ii) prioritizing job creation, (iii) enhancing public investment in education and health (iv) nurturing selected industries.

“There is a strong causal link between human development and economic growth”, stated the Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark at the conclusion of the event. “Few countries have sustained economic growth without investments in human capital. Yes you can have sporadic growth which Pakistan witnessed during the last government, but that only lasts for a while”. He called for greater investment in girls’ education and for improved trade with neighbours like India. .....

http://dawn.com/2013/04/02/pakistan-and-the-human-development-index/

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2013 at 6:53pm

Here's a Guardian report on British Council sponsored survey of Pak youth:

Government, parliament and political parties are all held in overwhelming contempt by Pakistanis aged 18-29, while the army and religious organisations are the two most popular institutions in the country. The survey of 5,271 young people is a sobering reminder of the challenges posed by Pakistan's peculiar demographics, where 46% of the population is aged between 15-29.

The troubled nation's vast youth bulge has been seen as a cause for optimism by some observers, with hopes pinned on a wave of young people pouring into the workforce in the coming decades that should trigger dramatic economic growth and development.

But the report warns that Pakistan faces a demographic disaster if it fails to use its young people. Talent was wasted by an "education emergency", a poor climate for business investors and high unemployment – half of the "next generation" does not work, according to the report.

"Pakistan could be one of the first countries ever to grow old before it has grown rich," it said, pointing out that the country will start to age by mid-century.

It also makes depressing reading for the politicians gearing up for general elections on 11 May, when more than 30% of the electorate is aged 18 to 29.

The survey found 94% thought the country was going in the wrong direction, with much of the blame laid at the door of the civilian institutions that have run the country since power was seized back from the army in 2008.

It said 71% had an unfavourable opinion of the government, 67% of parliament and 69% viewed political parties unfavourably. By contrast, 77% of young people approve of the army, while 74% were favourable inclined towards religious organisations.

Only 29% of young people believe democracy is the best political system for Pakistan. Military rule would be preferred by 32% and Sharia law by 38%.

With 13m new votes up for grabs among an army of first-time voters, there is a "transformational opportunity for any party that succeeds in motivating young voters to go to the polls", the report said. However, only 40% are certain to vote.

Imran Khan, cricket star turned politician, hoping to pull off the unlikely coup of going from zero seats in parliament to enough to lead the next government, is banking heavily on young people who flock to his mega rallies.

The survey shows the primary youth concerns are economic, with people worrying about soaring inflation, a jobs crisis and poverty.

Because fewer than half of young women are expecting to vote, the report branded housewives a "potential game-changer" if more of them could be inspired to take part in elections.

"Basically the ideal candidate to get the housebound women out is Margaret Thatcher in burqa," said Fasi Zaka, a columnist who was a member of the taskforce that helped produce the report for the British Council.

"They are fundamentally worried about their economic position and they are conservative, they want someone that talks about values."

According to the report, moderates and liberals are a minority among Pakistan's youth, with two-thirds of women and 64% of men describing themselves as religious or conservative.

Some commentators fear the most likely result of the election will be a hung parliament, or a shaky coalition led by one of the two established parties, that would struggle to deliver the economic growth and jobs that young people crave.

http://m.guardiannews.com/world/2013/apr/02/pakistan-young-voters-d...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 4, 2013 at 9:34pm

Here's an EdWeek report on Punjab education:

A new book written by Sir Michael Barber explores the education reforms in the Punjab region of Pakistan over the past two years, including their use of vouchers to help encourage more children to enroll in school.

Barber, who was the the head of the British Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and chief adviser to the Secretary of State for Education under Tony Blair, and who is now Pearson's chief education adviser, was pegged to create a plan for bringing about education improvements in the Punjab region by Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the area's chief minister of education, in late 2010. The plan was rolled out in January 2011 and has since been implemented in more than 60,000 schools in the region.

Under the plan, enrollment in schools has increased by 1.5 million students and more than 81,000 new teachers have been hired. Part of the enrollment increase can be traced back to a voucher program which provides the equivalent of U.S. $15 to send children of poor families to participating private schools through the Punjab Education Foundation. To be eligible to receive the tuition funds, participating private schools that teach even one student from the voucher program are required to test all students in the school to demonstrate progress.

Over the course of the 2011-12 school year, the number of students participating in the voucher program has expanded from 20,000 to 140,000. Barber predicts the program will add an additional 50,000-80,000 students over the next 18 months.

There are about 255,000 students enrolled in school choice programs including vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and education savings accounts in the US, according to the Friedman Foundation, which gave that number to Education Week earlier this year.

Read more about Barber's findings on EdWeek's BookMarks blog from Catherine Cardno, who outlines Barber's conclusions and observations.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/charterschoice/2013/04/pakistan_embr...

http://www.reform.co.uk/resources/0000/0688/The_good_news_from_Paki...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/bookmarks/2013/04/michael_barber_on_...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 5, 2013 at 11:02pm

Here's an excerpt of a Express Tribune blog on Musharraf period:

Even if I try to use sasti (insubstantial) Pakistani political arguments, I cannot refute the fact that during the Commando’s era, economic conditions were much, much better. The economy, in general, was doing great; there were more jobs and businesses were recording higher profits.

“I remember the Musharraf period was great in terms of business and political peace; we were hiring extensively as compared to now. Actually, not only us, the software industry, were hiring, but job-seeking graduates were more comfortable at that time about getting jobs as compared to now. That’s my observation”, Salim Ghauri, chairman and CEO at NetSol Technologies told me in a brief conversation.

According to the reports by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan was the third fastest growing economy after China and India during that era.

In 2002, the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) was declared the “Best Performing Stock Market of the World for the year 2002”.

Our industrial sector registered 26.5% growth on average. Manufacturing and construction sectors recorded a 30 year and 17 year high, respectively. The highest increase in tax collection of around Rs1trillion was injected in government revenues.

Amazingly, Pakistan railway was making profits. Other indicators include a drastic decrease in poverty. CNG fuel, information technology and especially the telecommunication sectors registered massive growths, and the dollar was just at Rs60.

Musharraf even played a significant role in transforming the infrastructure of this country. Four dams (Subakzai, Gomalzam, Khurram and Tangi) were constructed during his period.

He initiated the plans to work on seven motorways in different areas of Pakistan; some were completed during his period and others remained under construction. Advanced Gawadar port, Kachi Canal Project, Lyari Expressway and a 650km long coastal highway are also among the many achievements of Musharraf’s period.

Pervez Musharraf can also be hailed as the liberator of the media; being a dictator, he was the only one who seemed confident enough of himself and his countrymen to have given Pakistani’s the freedom of speech as well. He took major steps to empower the Pakistani women in our local and national assemblies and his aggressive education policy contributed to major positive riffles in Pakistan’s education system; our literacy rate improved by 11% during his period.

Nine well equipped engineering universities and 18 public universities, all over Pakistan irrespective of ethnic orientations, were made during his time. Several technical colleges and institutions also spurted during his reign.

Pakistan’s launched its first satellite, Paksat-1, in his time – Musharraf made it happen. His remarkable words cannot be forgotten:

“Pakistan’s space programme is now ahead of India after the formal launching of Paksat-1 and this is due to the hard work of our scientists, and I am sure Indians would take another 30 months to do the job.”

It was during his time that after years, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was on the front table for talks.

In spite of all these accomplishments that he brought to our economy, unfortunately he simultaneously took some bad decisions, too, that wiped out all the credit that we owe him. Some people still blame him for the current political and social turmoil.

Is it more likely that though Pervez Musharraf did well for the economy in his tenure he simultaneously created some negative externalities too?

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/16706/pervez-musharraf-deserves-a...

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/2092/50-reasons-pakistan-needs-mu...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 5, 2013 at 11:07pm

Here's an excerpt of an Express Tribune blog on Musharraf's accomplishments:

1. Nine world class engineering universities were developed and 18 public universities further developed.

2. Pakistan was ranked third in world banking profitability.

3. The IT industry was valued at around $2 billion, including $1 billion in exports and employed around 90,000 professionals.

4. The CNG sector attracted over $70 billion in investment in the past five years and created 45,000 jobs.

5. The telecommunications sector attracted around $10 billion in investments and created over 1.3 million jobs.

6. Industrial parks were set up throughout the country for the first time.

7. Mega projects such as the Saindak, Rekodiq, marble production, coal production, mining and quarrying were pursued.

8. Foreign reserves increased from $700 million to $17 billion.

9. The Karachi stock market went from 700 points to 15,000 points.

10. The literacy rate improved by 11 per cent.

11. Poverty decreased by 10 per cent.

12. Four dams were built: Mirani, Subakzai, Gomalzam, Khurram, and Tangi,

13. Seven motorways were completed or were under construction,

14. Gwadar, an advanced sea port, was developed,

15. 650 kilometres of coastal highways were constructed.

16. A historic 100% increase in tax collection (amounting to Rs1 trillion) was observed.

17. Large scale manufacturing was at a 30-year high, and construction at a 17-year high.

18. Copper and gold deposits were found in Chagai, worth about $600 million annually if sold.

19. A new oil refinery with the UAE that could process 300,000 oil barrels a day was established.

20. The industrial sector registered 26 per cent growth.

21. The economy was the third fastest growing economy after China and India .

22. The Institute of Space Technology was established.

23. Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University Quetta was established.

24. The University of Science and Technology, Bannu, was established.

25. The University of Hazara was founded.

26. The Malakand University in Chakdara was established.

27. The University of Gujrat was established

28. The Virtual University of Pakistan was established

29. Sarhad University of IT in Peshawar was established

30. The National Law University in Islamabad was established

31. The Media University in Islamabad was established

32. University of Education in Lahore was established

33. Lasbela University of Marine Sciences, Baluchistan, was established

34. Baluchistan University of IT & Management, Quetta (2002)

35. The Pakistan economy was worth $ 160 billion in 2007

36. GDP Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) was $ 475.5 billion in 2007

37. The GDP per Capita in 2007 was $ 1000

38. Revenue collection in 2007/08 was Rs1.002 billion

39. Exports in 2007were worth $18.5 billion

40. Textile exports in 2007 were worth $11.2 billion

41. Foreign direct investment in 2007 was $8.5 billion

42. Debt servicing in 2007 was 26 per cent of the GDP

43. The poverty level in 2007 was 24 per cent

44. The literacy rate in 2007 was 53 per cent

45. Pakistan development programs in 2007 were valued at Rs520 billion

46. The Karachi stock exchange in 2007 was $70 billion at 15,000 points

47. Exports in 2007: $18.5 billion

48. Pakistan now has a total of 245,682 educational institutions in all categories, including 164,579 in the public sector and 81,103 in the private sector, according to the National Education Census (NEC-2005).

49. There are now more than 5,000 Pakistanis doing PhDs in foreign countries on scholarship. 300 Pakistanis receive PhD degrees every year, in 1999, the number was just 20.

50. In total, 99,319 educational institutions increased in Musharraf’s era!

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/2092/50-reasons-pakistan-needs-mu...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 6, 2013 at 10:21am

Here's a PakistanToday on Indian and Pakistani hackers' war:

Pakistani hackers on Friday hacked over a thousand Indian websites in response to an Indian attack on the website of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Pakistani hackers calling themselves True Cyber Army defaced 1,059 websites of Indian election bodies which then showed the ECP’s web page.

The hacked websites included http://www.nmcelection.org/, http://www.mcgmelection.org/. The hackers warned to launch more attacks on Indian websites if their rivals continued their campaign against Pakistani websites.

“If Indian hackers did not stop attacking Pakistani websites, we have a right to fight for the integrity of our homeland,” True Cyber Army said in an email message to a local newspaper. Last Friday the website of ECP was shut down after an attack by an Indian hacker who identified himself as NIGh7 F0x. The hacker defaced the homepage of ECP website and later compromised its availability.

The attack on ECP website came at a time when the P he commission shifted its website on another server to avert the crisis but still some ECP website users are complaining about difficulty in accessing some of the contents.

However, according to a spokesman of ECP all important election related data was secure and the website had started functioning normally. The Commission had already started uploading the nomination papers of candidates contesting in May 11 polls. Pakistani election body is busy in preparing for the general elections to be held on 11th May 2013.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/04/06/news/national/hackers-hi...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 6, 2013 at 7:58pm

Here's a PakistanToday report on education in Punjab:

The Punjab has the highest teacher presence in percentage terms than any of the 22 countries in which DFID provided financial support. Teacher absenteeism has been reduced from 20 percent to less than eight percent in a matter of less than two years. This was disclosed in a report of a think-tank called “Reform”. The report will be formally released in a lecture by an eminent British Educationist, Sir Michael Barber, at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) today.

World Bank Dr Jim Yong Kim, in his foreword for the report, appreciated the efforts of the leadership and commitment of the Punjab Government for achieving such palpable improvements.

The report indicated that in August 2011, only 22 percent of schools were being visited each month by district administration authorities to check on the situation, whereas in November 2012, 96.2 percent of all schools of the province were being visited by the authorities each month for spot checking and monitoring.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/03/26/city/lahore/punjab-unpar...

http://www.reform.co.uk/resources/0000/0688/The_good_news_from_Paki...

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 9, 2013 at 10:24am

Here's an excerpt of a Brookings opinion piece titled "Quiet Progress for Education in Pakistan":

The engagement of policymakers as well as citizens is essential to the success of any large scale public sector education reform. While the Punjab Education Reform Roadmap is involving high-level officials and community leaders, Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan is doing its part to include citizens in the dialogue. Every year, 9,000 volunteers from across Pakistan work to collect ASER data that is then shared with the government, civil society organizations, media, bilateral and multilateral agencies and other stakeholders working in the education sector. This process supports the Right to Education (RTE) campaign that has collected almost 2 million signatures from in-school and out-of-school children in an effort to pressure the Pakistani government to implement free and compulsory education for all children aged five to sixteen. United Nations special envoy for Global Education and former prime minster, Gordon Brown, presented 1 million signatures from the RTE campaign to the president of Pakistan on Malala Day, November 10th, 2012, which lead to the ratification of the first RTE bill in Pakistan. Following the death of Shahnaz Nazli, Malala started a new petition in honor of the slain teacher, which continues to put pressure on the Pakistani government to end the killings and violence that deny children their right to an education–especially for girls.

These advances are important for the people of Pakistan and the 5.1 million children out of school throughout the country. But these efforts also offer lessons for the international community. The Punjab Education Reform Roadmap as well as the work of ASER Pakistan and courageous individuals like Malala and Shahnaz Nazli show that even in the face of daunting challenges and an uncertain future, ambitious goal setting, collaboration and the effective use of evidence can deliver impressive results in a relatively short amount of time. Governments and partners working to improve education systems everywhere should take note.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/04/08-pakistan-e...

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