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Education in Pakistan
Pakistan is a rapidly developing nation that boasts the world’s
sixth largest population. It is a country of great contrast. While new
technology gives rise to improved communications systems and business
growth, over 50% of the people live in poverty, with limited access to
necessities such as potable water. The literacy rate is below 30% and
educational facilities are sorely lacking in many regions.
Education is undeniably one of the greatest needs facing the country.
Average student-teacher ratio in public schools is frequently in excess
of 40-1. Teachers are paid very poorly and are often hired more for their
availability rather than for their expertise. Even basic school supplies,
such as pencils, paper, blackboards, and chalk, are often lacking.
The mandate of Family Educational Services Foundation’s Eduserve
program is to strengthen the educational infrastructure by training teachers,
administrators, and parents. Amongst other things, we emphasize how important
it is to teach children to read at an early age. This simple step goes
a long way to raising the literacy rate and improving overall educational
standards.
Addressing the needs of the hearing-impaired is another program area that
FESF identified some years back. In Karachi alone there are over 150,000
people who are hearing-impaired. Only a few special schools exist to meet
the needs of deaf children, and there are very few educational or vocational
training programs available for students over the age of 16. This makes
it very difficult for anyone who is deaf to obtain an education or find
employment.
We designed and conduct Deaf Reach, a specialized training program for
deaf teenagers and young adults. Our goal is to provide them with teaching
and training, as well as to assist them in finding employment so that
they can support their families. The students are often quite poor and
come from all parts of the city. Our Deaf Reach program has successfully
trained hundreds of young deaf Pakistanis in communication skills, computer
literacy, general knowledge, as well as vocational training.
Unsolicited comments, such as those below, encourage us no end and strengthen
our convictions that Deaf Reach is helping meet a very real need.
Thank you so much for helping me find a job. My family is very poor,
and my father can’t work. Now I am helping to support my parents
and brothers and sisters, and things are better. Thank you for teaching
me. Thank you for everything! -- Ghulam Abbas, 21 years old
I never knew any English. Now I have learned very much. Also I learned
computer skills, and I have a good job because of your help. My parents
are so happy for me. Before I was sad because I was deaf and thought
that I can never do much. But now I have changed. -- Abdul Nasir, 26
years old
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