Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE)
and Pakistan:
Challenges and Strategic Needs
Dr. Maurice Robson
UNESCO Representative
National Consultative Workshop on Literacy
17 February 2009, Islamabad
Purpose and Outline
Purpose:
To build consensus amongst decision makers on the
urgent need for a well-organized, nation wide,
movement for the eradication of illiteracy in Pakistan
Outline:
 National and international commitments for literacy
 Development rationale for literacy
 The report card for Pakistan
 Institutionalization of literacy efforts: Challenges
and issues
 Proposed strategic actions
Six Goals of Dakar - EFA
1.
ECCE - Early Childhood care and
education.
2.
UPE - Free and compulsory basic
education .
3.
Learning opportunities for Young &
Adults.
4.
Literacy Rate (50% improvement).
5.
Gender equality - elimination of
gender disparities.
6.
Quality of education - Learning
achievement.
EFA and MDGs
EFA Goals – by 2015
MDGs – by 2015
1.
ECCE: Expanding early
childhood care and education
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary
education
2.
UPE: Universal primary
education
Target 3: Completion of full
primary schooling by all children
3.
Continuing Education: Learning
and life skills programmes for
young and adults
Indicator No 8: Literacy rate of 15-
24 year old
4.
Literacy: 50% increase in adult
literacy rates
Goal 3. Promote gender equality
and empower women
5.
Gender: Eliminating gender
disparities in primary and
secondary by 2005, and gender
equality in education by 2015
Target 4: eliminate gender
disparity
6.
Quality: Improving quality of
education
Indicator 10: Ratio of literate
women to men, 15-24 years old
LITERACY IS AT THE CORE
International Commitments

EFA : Pakistan is signatory to EFA and MDGs - Literacy is
one of the six Goals of EFA

Target: 86% literacy to be achieved by 2015 (National Plan
of Action for EFA - Ministry of Education, 2003)

UN Literacy Decade (2003-2012): Pakistan reflected
achievement of UNLD goals in its PRSP-1

LIFE : Pakistan has agreed to launch Literacy Initiative for
Empowerment (LIFE) in 2005.

PRSP : EFA and Literacy are part of Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (PRSP II)
National Commitments of Pakistan
Constitution of Pakistan (1973)
State shall be responsible for:
“ eradication of illiteracy and provision of
free and compulsory education up to
secondary level, within minimum possible
time”
(Article 37-B, 1973 Constitution of Pakistan)
Why Literacy?

A Human Right: Literacy is a basic human right (Atricle 26 of
Universal Declaration of Human Rights -1948)

A basis for learning: Literacy is a foundation for all further
learning

A public ‘good’: individual and social benefits, reduces
conservatism and intolerance, connects individuals to the global trends
and thinking

A key part of Poverty Reduction strategy : an important
indicator of Human Development Index (HDI)
Report Card: Literacy in Pakistan
PSLM (2006-07) – Statistics Division, GoP
Overall, 45% population (10+) is illiterate, and
58% Women can not read and write
70% Rural women are illiterate
76% Rural women in NWFP are illiterate
84% Rural women in Sindh can not read and write
85% Rural women in Balochistan are illiterate
Disparities:
80% literacy among males in urban Sindh vs 15% literacy
among females in rural Balochistan
PSLM (2005-06)
32 districts with literacy rate below 40%
56 districts with more than 70% illiterate women
Provincial Comparison of Rural Female Literacy
(PSLM Survey 2006-07)
Punjab
LITERATES,
38
LITERATES
ILLITERATES
Sindh
LITERATES,
16
LITERATES
ILLITERATES
ILLITERATES,
62
ILLITERATES,
82
NWFP
LITERATES,
24
LITERATES
ILLITERATES
Balochistan
LITERATES,
15
LITERATES
ILLITERATES
ILLITERATES,
76
ILLITERATES,
85
Number of Illiterates are increasing in Pakistan
Year
Pop 10 +
(Millions)
Literacy
Rate (10+)
Illiterate Pop
(10+)-Million
1951
22.71
17.9
18.64
1961
26.12
16.7
22.08
1972
42.91
21.7
33.59
1981
56.33
26.2
42.69
1998
89.84
43.92
50.38
2006-07
112.00
55.00
50.40
(estimated)
(Source: Census Reports and projections for 2006-07)
Asian Map of Literacy
Human Development in South and West Asia
(Source: Human Development Report 2007-08, and UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report 2009)
Country
HDI Ranking
Public
expenditure on
Education
as % of GNP
Literacy Rate
15+ (%)
India
128
3.3
65
Iran
94
5.2
84
Pakistan
136
2.7
54
Sri Lanka
99
5.4
91
Maldives
100
8.3
97
Nepal
142
3.2
55
Bangladesh
140
2.8
52
Dakar Goal Achievement – EDI
Education For All Development Index (EDI) for 129 countries- GMR 2009
S. No.
Achievement Level
No. of Countries South and
(world position) West Asian
countries
1.
Far from EFA Goals
29
5 Countries
including, India,
Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Nepal,
and Pakistan
3.
Intermediate position
44
Maldives
2.
Closer to EFA Goals
56
Education Budget in Pakistan: (1995-96 to 2008-09)
(Source: Economic Survey (2002-2003) – Finance Division – Government of Pakistan, Page 167, Table 11.5 and Economic Survey of
Pakistan 2005-06, and EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008, 2009, and other related documents of Govt. of Pakistan)
Year
% of GDP
Year
% of
GDP
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2.00
2002-03
1.7
2.62
2003-04
2.20
2.34
2004-05
2.12
2.40
2005-06
2.40
1.7
2006-07
2.42
1.6
2007-08
2.49
2001-02
1.9
2008-09
1.25
(PRSP II, page 316))
Pre-conditions for Success of Adult Literacy
Programmes

Vision:


Literacy programmes based on an agenda of social change
including functional literacy/income generation skills – learners can
not be attracted just for alphabets-” Literacy for a cause”
Including post-literacy and continuing education: beyond basic
literacy- mainstreaming neo-literates and NFBE pass outs with
formal education - continuing education

Leadership: literacy movement demands leadership, not
merely the funds

Organizational structure: expertise for training, material
development, research & evaluation

Consistent policy and approach
An analysis of Literacy Programmes in Pakistan
1.
Commitment gap: Lack of Political Will – funds were sanctioned but
politicians could not provide leadership – politicization of literacy
projects
2.
Policy Gap: A clear and strong policy on Literacy and NFBE has
been missing: Lack of administrative will – open and disguised
opposition to Literacy & NFBE by the traditional planners.
3.
Organizational Gap: Absence of permanent organizational structure
– led to coordination gap
4.
Financial Resources Gap: limited financial assistance, and
uncertainty about funding
5.
Technical Capacity Gap: ‘islands of excellence’ but weak
professional base /continuity of experience/independent research and
evaluation studies
A Strategy for Pakistan

A vision: a national framework developed: consistent policy on adult
literacy (Legislation, Parliament Resolution, strengthening provisions for
Adult Literacy and NFBE in new National Education Policy)

A commitment: political leadership - Ministers, Parliamentarians, and
political parties support and lead literacy programmes at various levels

Partnerships: joint Federal and Provincial agreements/
coordination/monitoring structures and processes

Guaranteed Financial Resources: Consistent flow of financial
resources – x % of education budget (?) – matching grants to provinces

Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly spelling out role and
responsibilities of Federal Govt., Provincial Govts., and District Govts.

A strong Professional base: An Institute or Resource Centre for
technical tasks like training, material development, research etc.
Focussed Approach

Priority:
 Out
of School Youth (10-25)
 Female Literacy programmes

Modalities:
 NFBE:
Non-formal Basic Education Centers for 6-15
years out of school children and youth
 Post Literacy: Making literacy meaningful, post
literacy phase to be added, mobile libraries, reading
rooms etc.
 ECE: Linking female literacy or Mother’s Literacy
with Early Childhood Education
LIFE: UNESCO support for Literacy

LIFE (Literacy Initiative for Empowerment)
launched by UNESCO in 36 countries- with
literacy rate below 50% or illiterate population
above 10 million

Country Action Plan for Literacy: Pakistan has
committed for LIFE - including launching of a
national literacy programme

Technical Assistance: UNESCO is providing
support to Pakistan for formulation of a policy on
literacy and capacity development
A basis for success!






Rich experience! Not from zero!
A National Literacy Curriculum (2007), approved and
launched by the Ministry of Education
Literacy materials: Literacy primers and post literacy
readers produced by NCHD, Institute of Mass Education
(AIOU), MoE, UNESCO, and NGOs
Trained human resources available with NCHD, National
Education Foundation, provincial Directorates of Literacy
and NFE, and NGOs
A Joint UN Programme in Education (2009-10): Literacy
and NFBE as part of the 2-year programme of cooperation
agreed between UN and Govt. of Pakistan
Policy comment through legislation a must for
sustainability and institutionalization of literacy programmes
What is missing?
A consistent policy
and
Leadership
For this workshop …to succeed in formulating a
clear strategy and mobilizing of strong leadership
for Literacy