MDGs on Universalization of Primary Education: Analysis of Gaps Between Commitment and Implementation in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations which stressed for achieving Universal Primary Education up till 2015. The deadline of the commitment has been reached but Pakistan is still far behind to achieve its targets of MDGs related to Universal Primary education. The current paper is based on document analysis which was designed to analyze the commitment made by government of Pakistan in National Education Policy-2009 for achieving MDGs targets. Ten main provisions for achieving MDGs were selected from National Education Policy -2009 and were analyzed in contrast with various official documents and report, prevailing practices of the Elementary & Secondary Education Department as well as evaluative studies of the development partners to explore the extent to which MDGs targets have been achieved. The analysis showed that although numerous provisions were suggested in the policy documents and were incorporated in action plans of the government for its implementation but it failed to achieve the desired objective of achieving MDGs targets. The latest data indicates that Pakistan is still far away from the agreed targets committed at national and international level for universalization of primary education.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s1p224