“Education is a matter of life and death for Pakistan. The world is progressing so rapidly that without requisite advance in education, not only shall we lag behind others but maybe wiped out altogether “
Don’t we all concur with Mohammed Ali Jinnah? Currently, Pakistan is facing numerous obstacles that hinder its way to success and the most disheartening problem is the wayward education system. Education is the route to national development. We are forced to cram and students are unable to develop novelty, rational thinking, creativity, imagination, reasoning, innovation, and invention. We don’t only get an education for economic reasons but to handle social, political, psychological, ethical, legal, and spiritual issues in our life. Why Scandinavian countries are the happiest? Maybe they have a good education system.
Why education matters to us so much?
It is a pertinent question to ask why education matters to us so much. Because in the absence of education, there would be anarchy, violence, intolerance, chaos, and internal conflict. Disintegrated education brings dismay, radicalism, and frustration. Education is an expectation builder. Expectations for the state, students, and their parents. But unmet expectations lead to mayhem for everyone. Education fosters optimism and restrains pessimism. Education produces a skilled workforce. Education promotes harmony. Education frees us from a slave mentality. Education fulfilled the gaps of unemployment. Education thrives the economy. Education can also solve social issues like vendettas, feuds, and religious riots. It handles political issues like a battle for power by different politicians, lawlessness, corruption, and the use of derogatory language. It educates the uneducated, uninformed, and deprived souls.
Can we prosper and progress without education? Maybe Not. Why not? Can a bird fly with broken wings? When you tied someone's hands and feet, why do you expect him to move? John Dewey remarks education is a process of growth. Education, he says, protects, sustains, and directs growth and the teacher stimulates, fosters, and strengthens this growth. We have a crippled education system. This system seems to be paralyzed. Who is the perpetrator of this topsy-turvy situation?
Let’s look back in time. We are still suffering as a result of the decisions of only one man, who is the driving force behind everything. Thomas Babington Macaulay. He presented his ‘Minute on Indian Education’ in 1835 which sought to establish the need to impart English education to Indian natives. He scorned and ridiculed Indian knowledge and thought them completely bogus and nonsense. For instance, he said of Indian literature: “A single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia.” He also believed that Western science was far better than Indian knowledge. To serve British interests and loyal to them, he planned to generate a cluster of Indians. This class would be “Indian in blood and color, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals, and intellect.” We imbibe and incorporate their culture and values. He mocked us. He mocked us so badly. I felt like someone slapped me. Did you?
More than this, Stratification exists. Children of proletarians are taught to despise children of the bourgeois. We have different kinds of education according to people's social classes. Private schools are for the privileged and the elite. The public schools for the middle and working class. And then religious schools for the underprivileged. And there are different standards, examination processes, curricula, and teaching methods in these different kinds of institutions. Why we all can’t have the same syllabi and teaching methods keeping our social economic classes at arm’s length? Why can’t all the provinces join their hands and provide the same education for all?
If we talk about early education, about young kids, there is too much burden laden on their shoulders and this excessive workload suppresses their mental and physical capabilities. Why they are deprived of moral education? Why they are deprived of esthetic education? Why they are deprived of sex education? Why don’t we listen to their heart where they want to go rather than imposing our wishes on them? Why they don’t get a little bit of freedom to choose their career? John Dewey supports the freedom of children and he says it should be regulated by their parents and teachers. Moreover, at a very young age, they have fear of punishment and it stops their growth and kills their courage.
Moreover talking about Higher Education, Knowledge is power but knowledge with skills is a superpower. Knowledge plus skill is the alpha and omega of education but we don’t build students’ skills. Corruption and embezzlement both exist. Political recruitment and appointment are other considerations. Why does nepotism predominate instead of meritocracy? Also, the state is to blame for the unemployment gap. Why educated cannot make their livelihood? Why can’t the state set up a standard examination system for all the provinces? All we need now is uniformity. Why is it not brought by the state?
If we dig deep we'll find that most of the students even after getting degrees do not meet the requirement of jobs and are unable to be incorporated into the market. Students should be sent to at least one semester in organizations and companies before their graduation so that they may become acquainted with the office environment and familiar with the working of different reputable organizations. Most universities have no liaison with industries and therefore their students face problems at the time of induction. Universities should invite industrialists to teach courses, especially in the last two semesters of their studies so that students can learn about the ins and outs of the industrial workings and may get a chance of absorption in the industry as employees. Why our graduate of electrical engineering can’t even fix an electric board? Why our graduates of the English language can’t even speak English fluently? Why our graduate of civil engineering can’t even design a map on his own? Our business graduate is well-acquainted with all the jargon and terms of business but why he is unable to start his business on his own? When did we invent something? When did we discover something? When we proposed a theory of our own?
No.
Is not the state responsible?
Yes, State is obliged, culpable, and accountable. Why do the schools have subpar and spotty infrastructure? Why do even schools lack drinking systems, toilets, and perimeter walls? Why there is a power breakdown in educational institutions? Why there is water scarcity? Does the state follow through on its declaration that everyone should receive an equal education? If yes, then why are hundreds of students out of school? Why there are vacant teacher posts in every school? Why there is gender discrimination in education? In each province, the male literacy rate is greater than that of females. Why do we put feminine education completely aside? Politicians spend the least percentage of the budget on the Education System (barely 2 percent of GDP)which is the lowest in the region. Why? Do they not want to educate the populace? Why not? Is it makes difficult for politicians to rule over wise people? Why not the state see education as a right rather than a favor to the public? Most UN agencies recommend that the minimum expenditure on education should be 4% of the GDP. Why do we expect Karl Marx, Albert Einstein or Bertrand Russell after spending only 2 % of our GDP on our education?
What have we done with education in Balochistan?
I believe all 4 provinces have crippled education system but Balochistan is paramount. It is the least literate province of the pure land. Balochistan has a lot to worry about education including ghost teachers, lack of awareness, insufficient infrastructure, and a long commute to reach the adjacent schools. In addition, several teachers were either target killed or departed the province in search of safety. Female education is not their concern at all since barely 2 percent of females are literate. According to some figures, there are 12500 total schools in Balochistan overall. Among them, 7000 schools lack roofs and are in poor shape. And 1800 schools are chaotic, unstable, and unproductive. Additionally, 6000 schools are run by single teachers and 2200 schools lack essential amenities including, drinking water, toilet rooms, etc. As per UNICEF research, there is 60 to 70 percent of children out of school in Balochistan. Isn’t this disenfranchisement with the populace of Balochistan? If Balochistan becomes the second Dhaka, who is responsible then?
The state could have done better. Since finance is the engine of every system they ought to boost the budget for the educational system and make it a top priority. A teacher should require appropriate training from established training facilities. For teacher training and development, high-caliber professional institutes with sufficient funds should be set up. Before entering academics, teachers should have the to bring our educational system in line with those of other nations. Education standards should be compatible with the outside real-world situation. Pupil-teacher, pupil-school, and teacher-school ratios should be balanced and class strength, teacher’s number, and a number of classrooms should be in accordance with international education standards. The curriculum should be updated annually, and new strategies and methods should be added. Political and bureaucratic influence should be kept to a minimum at all educational levels. To solve the load-shedding problem, schools should switch to solar power. The state should provide job security for the students after their graduation. We work well in an environment where we must deal with a proper system of responsibility and accountability, thus there should be an administrative system with checks and balances but the government is following Fabian policy towards accountability.
Are we putting too much burden on the state alone? Possibly yes. It is prerequisite to note that government cannot overhaul Pakistan’s educational system alone; public and private sector involvement is necessary. Societies, agencies, and NGOs have to collaborate and cooperate. The teachers have to be dutiful and the students have to be obedient and responsible. The principals and vice-chancellors have to lead from the front. There might be some workable answers.
Teachers are responsible. According to Bertrand Russell, “If the teacher is not affectionate and sympathetic to students, their intelligence and character cannot be developed.” Without a real desire to teach his students what he feels to be valuable and a feeling of sincere respect for them, a man cannot be a successful teacher. Why there are communication gaps between students and teachers? There is a lack of affection and affinity. Why don’t teachers treat them like their own children? Why are some students afraid to enter the class like some SHO and not the teacher is teaching? Some lack work ethics. Some lack sincerity and a sense of obligation.
Mostly Students are faulty too. Students are procrastinators and they tend to put things off. They lack patriotism, civic sense, loyalty, love for their homeland and respect for their teachers. They are the victim of depression and an inferiority complex. They lack allegiance and that’s why Pakistani students won’t come back after their degree from foreign and serve other nations rather than their very own. We all have to play our part. That’s what great nations do.
In a nutshell, education morphs an unpolished person into a polished mortal who becomes human capital. The objectives of education vary from one nation to the next because they are based on their norms, values, custom, and their tradition. That is the reason I don't want Pakistan to imitate any country even those that have a good education system. Blindly emulating a country won’t make you a great and it is only a fallacy and shibboleth. There might be no quintessence of an education system and therefore I want Pakistan to design its educational system while taking into account the institutions, the institution’s resources, and students’ abilities keeping in mind what are students’ strengths and what they lack. Developing skills and bringing novelty to the globe through our research should be our foremost priority. Briefly said I want to conclude with a question. Why nobody is ready to bell the cat? Are we unable to produce an academian who can fix all these educational flaws? If yes, then we better import one. Now this time we have only one thing. That is , HOPE, hope for sthenic education system because hope sustains the world.