At independence, Pakistan had a poorly educated population and few schools or
universities. Although the education system has expanded greatly since then,
debate continues about the curriculum, and, except in a few elite institutions,
quality remained a crucial concern of educators in the early 1990s.
Adult literacy is low, but improving. In 1992 more than 36 percent of adults over
fifteen were literate, compared with 21 percent in 1970. The rate of improvement
is highlighted by the 50 percent literacy achieved among those aged fifteen to
nineteen in 1990. School enrollment also increased, from 19 percent of those
aged six to twenty-three in 1980 to 24 percent in 1990. However, by 1992 the
population over twenty-five had a mean of only 1.9 years of schooling. This fact
explains the minimal criteria for being considered literate: having the ability to
both read and write (with understanding) a short, simple statement on everyday
life.
Relatively limited resources have been allocated to education, although there has
been improvement in recent decades. In 1960 public expenditure on education
was only 1.1 percent of the gross national product (GNP); by 1990 the figure had
risen to 3.4 percent. This amount compared poorly with the 33.9 percent being
spent on defense in 1993. In 1990 Pakistan was tied for fourth place in the world
in its ratio of military expenditures to health and education expenditures.
Although the government enlisted the assistance of various international donors
in the education efforts outlined in its Seventh Five-Year Plan (1988-93), the
results did not measure up to expectations.
