Skill scarcity

LAHORE: There is no use pointing out policy flaws as those that matter are fully aware of the shortcomings and know the remedies. Either our leaders are insincere or cowardly to confront influential segments that want the status quo.

There should be a clarity at the top level on the path they want to adopt at least to survive respectfully and not like beggars. Problems in Pakistan are aplenty. Our educational system is in a mess that assures that the majority of the students do not go up the ladder after formal education.

This is because only 10-15 percent of students get quality education who would any time beat the rest on merit. Quality education however is very expensive that few could afford. The public schools produce stuff mostly for menial work. No sincere efforts have ever been made to bring the quality of public schools at par with elite schools. This is despite the fact that all teachers in public schools are qualified and paid well.

Our health services are in shambles. The government hospitals and clinics have

better equipment than private hospitals. But that equipment is used mostly for VVIPs. For ordinary patients’ machines like CT-scan, nebulizers, and even x-ray machines ‘remain out of order’. Doctors examine more patients in their private clinic than they examine in their 8 hours duty at government hospitals or clinics.

Our major export earnings come from workers remittances, which speaks volumes about the state of our industry. Because of lack of opportunities in Pakistan many highly qualified persons like doctors, engineers and nurses have gone abroad for decent earning. This regular brain drain is also impacting our economy and health services.

Pakistan is short of qualified doctors and acutely short of qualified nurses. Most of the low skilled workers have also found sanctuaries in foreign lands where they live comfortable lives and also send money to their family members in Pakistan. Jobs in foreign lands are available for little better skills which are not produced in Pakistan.

They are now using illegal routes to go outside and do menial work if they could somehow settle there.

We have not benefited from our demographic dividend. While most of the world is aging we have a 65 percent population that is below the age of 35. We are a labor surplus country. But the available youth has not been imparted skills required by the world or even in Pakistan. Government is spending billions on vocational schools where obsolete skills along with market based skills are imparted. There is a need to eliminate obsolete skills.

Industry in Pakistan is shrinking. Job creation has not taken place for a long time while jobs have been lost as industries continue to close.

This has sharply increased poverty. Still Pakistan is considered as a consumptive society. However, given that current poverty data at least over 40 percent of its population is not in a position to afford high consumption. Their inability to live decently is the reason that saving rates in Pakistan are very low.

It is only the luxurious style of the rich, ruling elite and feudal that depicts this is a consumptive nation.