The country’s economic downturn and inflation have rendered it difficult for parents to pay for education for their children. As a result, the number of students dropping out in both public and private schools keeps increasing.
Officials from the Punjab Education Department claim that the dropout rate in educational institutions has risen significantly and that many parents have chosen to enroll their children in government schools as a result of the sharp rise in private school tuition.
According to statistics, the dropout rate for students in grades one through ten has reached 60%, and rates for grades one through five range from 28% to 30%, grades six through ten from 40% to 50%, and grades eleven and twelve from 60%.
Along with economic factors, the crisis has also been exacerbated by the shortage of qualified teachers in government schools and the use of the English language as the only medium of instruction. Teachers’ inability to dedicate enough time to their students as a result of their other government obligations has resulted in a negative impact on education quality.
Consequently, parents who cannot afford to send their children to private schools or see them struggling in public schools turn to keep their kids busy with extracurricular activities in the hopes that they will return to school once their financial situation improves.
Another problem affecting students in government educational institutions and further degrading the standard of instruction is a lack of access to comprehensive study materials.
Authorities must take appropriate action to make sure that education is still accessible to all segments of society in light of the nation’s alarmingly high dropout rate.
