PESHAWAR: More than 52 per cent people in seven tribal districts are illiterate while those, who have studied up to primary level, account for 22 per cent of the educated population, according to a survey.

The survey reveals that 10 per cent of the educated people in tribal district have studied up to middle level while only seven per cent have studied up to matric level.

The survey was jointly conducted by planning and development department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Merged Areas Governance Programme (MAGP) and United Nations Development Programme with the financial assistance of Foreign and Commonwealth Office of United Kingdom.

It shows that only 3.5 per cent of the population has studied up to intermediate level while around two per cent of the educated people have bachelor’s degree in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

The survey says that only 1.1 per cent of the population of merged areas has completed master’s degree while 0.1 per cent of the educated people have MPhil/PhD degrees.

More than 52pc people are illiterate in seven tribal districts

The district-wise details of the merged areas has put South Waziristan on top with having 61.2 per cent illiterate population and Kurram district at the bottom in the seven merged districts with 37.7 per cent illiterate population.

The number of illiterate people in North Waziristan is 55.5 per cent, in Orakzai 55.2 per cent, in Mohmand 54.2 per cent, in Bajaur 54 per cent and in Khyber 50.8 per cent.

The number of people having studied up to primary level is the highest in Kurram with 26.3 per cent and lowered in South Waziristan with 16.6 per cent. Similarly, 25.6 people have education up to primary level in Bajaur, 23.9 per cent in Khyber, 21 per cent in Mohmand, 19.2 per cent in North Waziristan and 19 per cent in Orakzai tribal district.

The survey shows that 13 per cent people got education up to middle level in Kurram, 11.8 per cent in South Waziritsan, 11.2 per cent in Khyber, 11 per cent each in North Waziristan and Orakzai, 9.4 per cent in Mohmand and only 9.2 per cent in Bajaur.

It says that 10.5 per cent residents of Kurram have qualification of matriculation while the ratio is 9 per cent in Orakzai, 8.5 per cent in North Waziristan, 7.9 per cent in Khyber, 7.2 per cent in Mohmand and 5.9 per cent in Bajaur.

The survey shows that the percentage of qualification decreases as only 3.5 per cent population of the merged areas have qualified the intermediate examinations. It reveals that 6.7 per cent population of Kurram has studied up to intermediate level while the ratio is 4.2 per cent in Orakzai, 3.3 per cent in Khyber, 3.2 per cent in North Waziristan, 3.1 per cent in Mohmand, 2.7 per cent in South Waziristan and 2.3 per cent in Bajaur.

Similarly, 0.9 per cent people have bachelor degrees in Orkazai, 1.1 per cent in South Waziristan, 1.5 per cent in Bajaur, 1.6 per cent in North Waziristan, 1.7 per cent in Khyber and 3.7 per cent in Kurram.

The master degree holders are 0.5 per cent in Orakzai, 0.7 per cent in South Waziristan, 0.9 per cent in Khyber, 1 per cent in North Waziristan, 1.2 per cent in Bajaur, 1.3 per cent in Mohmand and 1.8 per cent in Kurram.

No one from Orakzai has been reported with MPhil/PhD degrees while only 0.1 per cent each from Bajaur, Khyber, Mohmand and North Waziristan and 0.2 per cent each in Kurram and South Waziristan have these high qualifications.

The survey shows that other professional qualifications are 0.4 per cent in Mohmand, 0.2 per cent in Khyber, 0.1 per cent each in Bajaur, Khyber, North Waziristan and Orkazai while no one with profession qualification has been reported from South Waziristan.

An educationist working in development sector termed the figures of the survey alarming. He said that government was required to set up more middle and high schools in the merged areas.

He said that after graduating from primary schools, students in tribal districts quit education owing to shortage of middle and high schools.

According to official figures of the elementary and secondary education department, there are 4,952 government primary schools including 2,116 for girls in the merged areas. However, the government has so far established only 551 middle schools including 213 for girls in the tribal districts.

This figures show that there is only one middle school for the students graduating from nine primary schools. “It means middle schools are insufficient and these are overcrowded and faraway for the students,” said the educationist.

Similarly, there are only 363 high schools in the seven merged districts and students find it hard to continue education after passing the middle and primary classes.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2021