Category Archives: Development and Poverty

Fight against illiteracy: an uphill task

Administration, Archive Edition, Books, Children and Youth, Development and Poverty, Education

By Nafisa Hoodbhoy and Zubeida Mustafa

“Bina parhayjo waqt gunwaya”, the powerful TV jingle, came to mind as we walked one after-‘ noon through a long dusty corridor of a government school in Korangi. We (were on a surprise visit to one of the Nai Roshni schools.

Going up a flight of stairs in the school building, we came upon a classroom without window panes. Seated on dusty wooden benches, with books open before them on rickety desks .were 24 boys in dishevelled shalwar-kameez and chappals. They listened intently as their young bearded teacher taught numerals on the blackboard with almost religious devotion.

This was a maths class in progress at the Nai Roshni school. After the teacher had finished he called upon one of the children to come and recite the tables. The boy did so with great zeal in a sing-song tone and the class repeated the lesson after him. Even when the child made a mistake the class did not falter. It was the teacher who would intervene. Obviously the emphasis was on the rote method so common in the schools here. Continue reading Fight against illiteracy: an uphill task →

Where does Pakistan Stand? World Bank study on school quality

Archive Edition, Children and Youth, Constitution, Development and Poverty, Education, Environment, Human Rights, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa

ACCORDING to a recently jublished World Bank study, the slowdown in the :rash expansion of the school system in Third World countries, and the decline in the investment capital available to them, lave caused policymakers to turn their attention to the quality of education.

It is now being realised that low levels of student achievement are hampering economic development. Moreover, poor school quality means that in many cases education is not cost-efficient. Continue reading Where does Pakistan Stand? World Bank study on school quality →

Health care for all: empty slogan

Archive Edition, Development and Poverty, Health, Human Rights

By Zubeida Mustafa

“Healthcare for all” s been proclaimed to be the focal point of the Prime Minister’s five point programme. The Government claims that by i990 every Pakistani will be provided access to health facility so that none will have to undergo needless pain and suffering should he fall ill.

No one would dispute the nobility of this goal. But given the present trends one feels sceptical whether the government will succeed in achieving its objective. The hurdles are numerous and the efforts not substantial enough.

Take the case of Mohammad Khan. His experience shows we still have a long, long way to go in providing healthcare for the rural areas. This is what he has to say: Continue reading Health care for all: empty slogan →

The social sector: What the budget was likely to achieve

Administration, Archive Edition, Children and Youth, Development and Poverty, Economy, Education, Health, Housing, Human Rights, Labour, Population, Social Issues, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa

THE Federal Finance Minister has described Budget 1986-87 as being designed to provide relief to all sections of society in need of it.

Although there is greater emphasis on the social sectors and on welfare measures than before — their allocation having risen from 12 per cent of the budget in 1982-83 to 20 per cent in 1986-87 — the increase has been less than what was envisaged in the Sixth Plan. Continue reading The social sector: What the budget was likely to achieve →

A new stirring in rural Sind

Archive Edition, Children and Youth, Culture and the Arts, Development and Poverty, Economy, Education, Health, Library, Population, Social Issues, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa

THE villages of Sind are experiencing a new awakening. The people — both men and women — in rural areas of the province are developing a keen awareness of their deprivation and backwardness. Gone are the centuries old fatalism, complacency and submissiveness of yore. The people now want a change and more significantly they are prepared to work for it on a selfhelp basis. Continue reading A new stirring in rural Sind →