LAHORE Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday issued a white paper on Punjab government’s ‘poor’ performance in education sector, stating education has not been the government's priority and it is focusing on the projects that give it political mileage. Punjab PTI organiser Ch Muhammad Sarwar while issuing a white paper said joblessness and crime rate is increasing in the absence of quality education for children and the youth in the province. He said Punjab stood third in terms of imparting of quality education. He said the improvement in education standards in Punjab actually dropped by 3.38 per cent. He said education standards have only improved in three districts in Punjab, which itself showed poor performance in education sector in the province. Ch Sarwar said only nine districts out of 36 districts showed 80 per cent improvement in education standards. He said some 50 per cent school-going age girls and 44 per cent boys were out-of-school. Some 18 per cent schools' buildings in Punjab are in a dilapidated condition and most school children had no facility of toilets. Some 26 per cent schools had no facility of electricity. He said only 10 per cent schools were either secondary or higher secondary schools, while every seventh public school in Punjab was without boundary-wall. He said one of every 20 schools did not have the facility of clean drinking water. He said some seven per cent public schools were one-classroom schools. Declaring Punjab government's failure in education sector despite all tall claims, Ch Sarwar said no society could progress without promoting education. In the absence of education facility for all, he said crime rate will continue to increase.
