Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has inaugurated a laptop scheme under the Youth Program Phase-III, through which 100,000 laptops will be distributed among top-tier university students. He highlighted the program’s importance with the words, “The laptop scheme has truly been a game-changer, leading to sterling success stories.”
The image of students engrossed in their laptops is undoubtedly enticing. The scheme holds political visibility and is the best way to attract the youth. However, given the current budget constraints, a fundamental concern arises: is it the most viable and critical area in the education sector to invest in? Or what has been the return on this enormously large expenditure under the umbrella of Youth initiatives so far, especially in a nation where the level of education has deteriorated over time?
Before launching a project or program, a cost-benefit analysis is typically conducted, although such an idea is non-existent in Pakistan. It takes decades for governments to recognize a mistake that could have been prevented with basic investigation. Literacy in Pakistan stands at about 59%, with males at 71% and females at 48%. Only 67% of Pakistani children complete elementary education.
With a growing population and a significant youth demographic, Pakistan currently has over 75 million children aged between 5 and 16. Pakistan now holds the second-highest number of out-of-school children (OOSC) in the world, with an estimated 25 million children aged 5-16 not attending school, accounting for 33% of the total population in this age range. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that 60% of out-of-school children are girls. By 2025, Pakistan needs an additional 200,000 schools and 2.5 million teachers to accommodate approximately 25 million out-of-school children (OOSC). Millions of children in flood-ravaged Pakistan are in desperate need of assistance, and the education of millions of students is in jeopardy.
The country invests 2.3% of its GDP in education, yet approximately 42% of government schools lack basic amenities such as electricity, safe drinking water, and classrooms with desks, hindering progress towards educational goals for every citizen, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. Other challenges include the government’s lack of political commitment to implementing long-term educational policies, providing capacity training to existing teachers, recruiting new teachers when necessary, and upgrading educational facilities in major cities and outlying districts of Pakistan.
A budget should be allocated to eliminate the threat of child labor, as the suspension of schools during the coronavirus pandemic proved to be counterproductive, affecting as many as 40 million children in Pakistan, the majority of whom were forced to work.
These numbers seem to reflect negatively on the government’s priorities. Its zealous tactics indicate either a lack of vision on the part of the leadership or a hidden agenda behind the project. It is perceived that the government is utilizing the Laptop Scheme to capitalize on the youth vote bank and diminish the impact of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the youth. The extensive advertisements featuring a smiling Shahbaz Sharif on laptop scheme brochures and posters convey a different story, far removed from the ground realities.
The laptops provided to high-achieving students in higher education are insufficient for achieving self-sufficiency, calling for a comprehensive evaluation of our expenditure. True success can only be observed when the base of the pyramid is stable. Ultimately, constructing a shaky foundation with alluring pebbles will be fruitless.