Over 5 million Pakistani children out of school

In Pakistan, 5.1 million children are out of school and 63 percent of them are girls, a UN report said on Thursday. The 10th Education for All Global Monitoring Report, Putting Education to Work of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was officially launched in Islamabad, to share Pakistan specific statistics and analysis with major educationists and policy makers. The report recognizes dire need for investment in the future of young boys and girls in terms of spending, quality education and skill building initiatives. The report reveals that the school age population of Pakistan is 197.5 million. Net enrollment ratio in primary schools is 74 percent. Dr. Kozue Kay Nagata in the opening remarks, quoting from the global speech of Director- General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova, said, "I would like to dedicate this ceremony to Ms. Malala Yousafzai, a young brave activist for the right of girls to the education of Pakistan, assaulted last week, because she wanted to go school." Dr. Roshan Chitrakar, senior education specialist of UNESCO, told the participants, "Pakistan needs to tackle unemployment of the youth, and make them to be productive labor force, through training and education." According to the Global Monitoring Report, only 40 percent of girls of age 15 or less are literate, which is projected to 60 percent by 2015; thus needs special attention to eliminate gender parity. In Pakistan, skills development, including teacher training, expenditure in year 2008/2009 was only 1 percent out of total education budget. "Education is the best investment in the societies we want. Every 1 U.S. dollar spent on child' education yields 10-15 U.S. dollars in economic growth over person's working life. this calls for global push and commitment for education in this country," said Dr. Nagata. The Global Monitoring Report urges on faster progress for quality education and adult literacy to meet its goals by the deadline of 2015.