India Outperforms Pakistan in Education in the Past Decade, but Challenges Remain
Delhi: In the past decade, both India and Pakistan have made strides in improving their education systems, but recent data suggests that India has made more progress than Pakistan.
According to the latest data from the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index, India ranked 131 out of 189 countries in 2020, while Pakistan ranked 154. The index takes into account factors such as education, health, and income.
In terms of education specifically, the latest data from UNESCO shows that India has made significant strides in increasing enrollment rates in primary education, with a net enrollment ratio of 97% in 2019. Pakistan’s net enrollment ratio in primary education was 74% in the same year.
India has also made progress in reducing the gender gap in education, with girls’ enrollment rates increasing at a faster rate than boys’ enrollment rates. However, Pakistan still struggles with a significant gender gap in education, with girls’ enrollment rates much lower than boys’.
In terms of quality of education, both India and Pakistan face challenges. The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, released in 2019, showed that both countries performed below the average in reading, mathematics, and science.
However, India has made efforts to address these challenges, such as launching the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan program in 2018, which aims to improve the quality of education and learning outcomes. Pakistan has also launched initiatives to improve education, such as the National Education Policy 2021, which seeks to provide free and compulsory education for all children aged 5 to 16.
Overall, while both India and Pakistan have made progress in education in the past decade, India has made more significant strides in improving enrollment rates and reducing gender gaps. However, both countries still face challenges in improving the quality of education and ensuring access to education for all children.