These days ministry of science is consuming handsome funds on promoting Information Technology. But does it serve our purpose of rooting out illiteracy? With my perception the answer is negative. I am not negating the pivotal role of IT for our country but each and every individual that owns a Pakistani nationality should be armed with his/her basic right of education. No body can become an IT professionals overnight neither this facility is available to our remote areas Acquiring education is a step-by-step process. Basic education forms the initial stairs of this lengthy process.
Education at basic level can be categorized into two elementary developmental phases. Primary and Secondary. Primary education forms the fundamental block of education career. Whereas the latter phase of secondary education follows the former phase. These two indispensable phases lay together the foundation of professional education.
The current standard of primary and secondary education in our country is pathetic. There is a high level of disparity of education among urban and rural areas. This disparity has forced me to highlight the problems facing education in urban and rural areas distinctively. With rural areas constituting 68% of our population our major concern should be enlightening these villages and districts with the torch of education. There are many districts and villages in our country where the inhabitants still wandering in the dark. How can one imagine of a computer being accessible to these backward vicinities where books are non-existent? Where schools exists either under trees or on papers? Where children are forced to toil as carpet weavers and kiln workers? Where feudalist regard education as a crime and threat to their social status.
The infrastructure of primary and secondary education in urban areas is despondent as well. Where non-government schools are beyond reach of a poor man. Where most government schools are void of teaching staff. Where buildings are in depleted conditions and lack basic necessities.
Most children are unable to reach or join the second phase of secondary education owing to financial constraints, lack of vision and family restrictions. Ensuring a smooth sailing of educational career of a student requires fanatical commitment on part of the government. There is a need of lessening the burden of fees by providing scholarships to poor and needy students so that there is no hindrance in their education career. Opening the schools is not even half the job done but equipping the school with trained teacher and mustering the students and arranging the syllabus and related facilities is the only hallmark to proceed with the spreading of education in the masses. Creating awareness among the masses to acquire education and to know about its benefits can only strengthen our cause.
According to 1998 census urban and rural areas literacy rate stands at 65.2 percent and 26.9 percent respectively. The figures also indicated that only 2.520 million children were enrolled in schools out of a total population of 4.680 million. This underlines the need for expanding the bandwidth of basic education in order to make the system efficient and productive.
With a below par literacy rate of 48% our realm lags far behind in the race for progress. Our education policy needs broader vision and radical changes that can only pave the way for our better tomorrow. Framing reforms aimed at financing educational needs, maintaining a stern check on schools organizations, proper implementation of curriculum, providing quality education, and making basic education compulsory are the major ingredients, which can nourish our literacy rate. The education department also needs to upgrade the material of textbooks for both phases so that it is congruent with the present times. As drastic problems require drastic measures. Concerted efforts on part of government and people are need of an hour to eradicate the menace of illiteracy intimidating our society with despair and darkness.

The author is a student in SZABIST.........