Moalims

The efforts to increase literacy rate in Pakistan, including adult literacy as a main component, according to various reports, started in 1950.
At that time, the United States of America gave funds to educate people in Pakistani villages aiming to train and educate and give them skills. The first qaeda (lesson module) for promoting literacy was introduced in Punjabi language, titled Rajay Da Darbar (Court of King). Later, another qaeda titled, Ilm Di Kunji (Key to Knowledge) was also introduced, which, later on, was revised by an American linguist Frank C Laubach.
Literacy experts revised the qaeda and translated in Urdu language named Ilm Ki Kunji (key to Knowledge). Later, the course was revised for adult illiterates in two parts as a complete course named, Ilm Ka Darwaza (Door to Knowledge). The course was later revised in the mid 1960s after a survey was conducted in Punjab by the West Pakistan Christian Council and local Urdu language experts.
The primer titled Nea Din (New Day) was first printed in 1964. Mr. Abdur Rehman, a local Urdu linguist, American linguist Mr. Paul Hostetter, and Prof Dr Ajmal Khan played a major role in compilation and printing of 1,000 copies. Later, Pakistan India war started in 1965 and the American professor left Pakistan.
The Sharif Commission report on education was the first of its kind in Pakistan which appeared in 1959-60, that became a milestone in the history of literacy. However, despite the report, very little was done for basic education and literacy in Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s era.
The primer Nea Din was reviewed and printed by Vincent A David in 1966 as part of literacy wing of Presbyterian Church of Pakistan from Gujranwala. His organisation, Adult Basic Education Society (ABES) is known as the mother of all non-government organisations working on adult literacy.
In Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s regime in 1973, Nea Din was officially selected for adult literacy and Mr. David was offered to start a state television programme on adult literacy. The programme was based on 160 video lessons and was telecast on Pakistan Television till 1981. According to some estimates, as many as one million illiterate adult benefited from the course, while 90 helping handbooks were printed during this time.
In Bhutto’s regime, Nea Din was officially selected for adult literacy and David was offered to start a state television programme on adult literacy. The programme was telecast on Pakistan Television till 1981.
This led to the foundation of ABES, as the first non government organisation in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started focusing on primary education and illiteracy. Television sets were given free of cost to many villages for watching the literacy programmes. In 1978, General Ziaul Haq created Pakistan’s first National Commission for Literacy and Mass Education. This first national commission convened the first national conference on literacy that evolved 10 points, and later in 1983, country’s first National Plan for Literacy emerged. A sum of Rs 750 million was allocated for the purpose, including focusing adult literacy.
In late 1980s, General Mujeeb-ur-Rehman introduced Nai Roshni (New Light) scheme for basic education and adult literacy, which ended soon because of over centralisation from Islamabad. The efforts to improve literacy further increased after 1990 Jomtien Conference in Thailand, which was the first biggest world education conference. More than one hundred education ministers and senior representatives of almost all the United Nations agencies and the World Bank attended the conference. In the conference, Pakistan committed itself to the goals set for the next 10 years.
Article 3 of the Framework of Action adopted by the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in 2000, endorsed the vision of the World Declaration on Education For All in Jomtien in 1990 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that all children young people and adults have the right to benefit from education as human beings. The participants committed for achieving 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by the year 2015, especially for women and ensuring that by the year 2015, all children particularly girls and those belonging to ethnic minorities have access to complete free, and compulsory primary education of good quality.
But despite the commitment, adult literacy is a neglected area in terms of planned action in Pakistan. The overall strategy focuses on formal institutions. Many people think that adult literacy and non-formal basic education have not been institutionalised in the country.
In 1981, Pakistan for the first time created a Literacy Commission of national level on ad-hoc basis. During 1982-2000, the top appointments in the education sector were made on alleged political grounds rather than on professional competence, especially in the field of literacy and mass education. During the 1990s, Balochistan created a structure in the form of Directorate of Literacy and Non-formal Education.
After the abolition of National Literacy Commission at the Federal level in 2001-2002 during Pervez Musharraf’s regime, Punjab also started a similar department. The Punjab constituted the Punjab Commission for Literacy and Education for All, and in 2003, a separate Department of Literacy and Non-formal Education was introduced.
Adding an adult literacy component in the Education Sector Reforms — ESR (2001-2005) and in the National Plan of Action (NPA) for Education for All (EFA) (2001-2015) were some important steps taken by the then Pakistani government. Non-government organisations also started working more on adult literacy during the Musharraf regime.
At present, according to estimates, about 55 million Pakistanis above the age of ten cannot read and write or do simple calculations. The overall official literacy rate is reported to be a little more than 50 per cent with two-thirds of the female population illiterate.
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people aged 15 and above who can read and write a short and simple statement on everyday life. According to UNESCO reports, for the past few years, Pakistan’s adult literacy rate is 55-60 per cent, while half the country’s adult population is unable to read or write.
The National Action Plan for Education for All (2001-2015) aims to increase literacy rate up to 86 per cent and impart literacy skills to 81 million illiterate adults. However, experts believe that political commitment at all levels does not seem consistent.
Consistent and coherent policies, sustainable resource mobilisation, progress of literacy teachers and prioritising adult literacy in formal education system are suggested as core strategies for Pakistan to achieve the targets.