Survey shows improvement in social sector indicators

ISLAMABAD—The Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurement Survey 2006-07 indicated improvement in social sector indicators including education and health.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) told APP that this was the National/Provincial findings of the third round of the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey-2006-07. During this round, they said that 73,953 households were covered across urban and rural communities, information was collected from households in a range of social sector issues.
These are primarily focussed on the sectors covered under Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in the overall context of MDGs i.e. Education, Health Household Assets/ Amenities, Immunization, Pre/Post Natal care of females and Household satisfaction by facilities and services. To study the behaviour variation of main indicators between different groups, the information is presented disaggregated by province, by region (urban-rural) and by gender. Presenting information from the PSLM 2006-07. This report also provides information from the earlier rounds of PSLM.
The survey report said that the Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) for primary schools (Age 5-9) has increased from 87 percent in 2005-06 to 91 percent in 2006-07. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) was 56 percent in 2000-07, substantially lower than the Gross enrolment Rate because of the enrolment of overagechildren in primary school: however, it has also increased significantly as compared to 2005-06 i.e. from 52 percent to 57 percent.
The PSPM collects information on enrolment in all types of schools i.e. public and private. The PSLM round shows increase in the share of primary enrollments thai are in government schools, the overall share has increased from 65 percent in 2005-06 to 69 percent in 2006-07.
This increase might be due to the government polices of enhancing primary education which resulted increase in GRE of 4 percentage points, it indicates that private sector education most probably remained stagnant over the previous year whereas government has shown significant increase. The GER (Age 10-12) for middle level has increased from 49 percent to 51 percent where as the NER has shown no change i.e. I 8 percent. There remains a large difference between urban and rural areas in middle level enrolment rates.
The increase in Maine Level (Age 13-14) GER is from 44 percent to 48 percent and NER remain constant as compared to 2005-06. The real impact will be observable after Four/Five years when the existing primary level Cohort will reach at Matric bevel. According to the report, there has been an increase in the proportion of persons (10 years & above) who report that they are literate. This has risen from 54 percent in 2005-06 to 55 percent in the 2006-07. Adult literacy (15 years & above) has also been worked out and it has increased from 50 percent in 2004-05 to 52 percent in 2006-07. About Health , the survey said that in Health Sector, the PSLM report includes sickness/injuries, immunization, diarrhoea and the use of pre and post-natal services.
The sickness / injuries show the prevalence rate of 6.27 percent and in 94.44 percent cases these people visited health consultants. This indicator has declined from 7.10 percent 2004-05 to 6.27 percent in 2006-07. The immunization coverage that based on record of immunizations given to the child shows a slight rise from 49 to 50 percent in the proportion of one year old who are fully immunized.—APP