As we all understand, education plays a key role in the evolution and
blooming of a nation. Education is the engine that powers the modern, developed,
and advanced world. And to survive in this ruthless world, we all need education
as a light that guides us in our lives.
A famous quote by Malala Yousafzai is, “One child, one teacher, one book, one
pen can change the world.”
But in this contemporary age, Pakistan is facing societal, political, economic,
and educational issues. This article aims to explore the education crisis in
Pakistan and propose solutions.
Starting with public institutions, there is a lack of proper infrastructure,
sanitary conditions, and clean water. Students are facing difficulties not only
in education but also in injurious and unhealthy environments. Firstly, students
from lower classes face trouble with language because they are mostly related to
their mother language, and in any institution, there is a specific language for
all students. Due to this, in the beginning, they can’t talk properly to people
or perform properly in classes.
In most Pakistani institutions, upper-class students are given more
opportunities and privileges. They are given specific attention and
surveillance. Also, from where I graduated, they had been given a special kind
of assistance in exams as well as a concession in fees because of their father’s
high occupation. Despite this, poor students have not been given specific
opportunities, concessions in fees, or special respect. There is a vast
difference between social classes in almost every educational system in
Pakistan, which leads to the backwardness of the lower class.
Moreover, poverty is the main factor that hinders the poor’s access to education
because of high fees. Their elders don’t allow their children to go to school
for an education; they want to make them self-dependent, working in factories
and other institutions to earn money and running their lives on those finances.
So due to their father’s low income, they are deprived of education.
According to UNICEF, Pakistan currently has the world’s second-highest number of
out-of-school children (OOSC), with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5–16
not attending school, representing 44 percent of the total population in this
age group. In the 5–9 age group, 5 million children are not enrolled in school,
and after primary school age, the number of OOSC doubles, with 11.4 million
adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 not receiving formal education.
https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/education
Gender disparity is also the main issue that should be discussed; females are
discriminated against on account of their weak character. They face difficulties
not only in educational institutions but also in every walk of life. Most
fathers prefer subjects like home economics, computer science, and sociology for
their daughters so that they can play a better role in becoming good housewives.
There is no respect for women’s gender in Pakistan’s educational system; men
view women as useful items for their desires. Cultural norms and practices that
prevail in society also lead to under-participation in the field of education.
About 49% of the total population is female, so if they are kept away from a
better education, then our country cannot become more economically strong. Not
only do males play a role in developing and organizing the nation, but females
also have certain responsibilities.
According to UNICEF, Disparities based on gender, socio-economic status, and
geography are significant; in Sindh, 52 percent of the poorest children (58
percent of girls) are out of school, and in Balochistan, 78 percent of girls are
out of school. Nearly 10.7 million boys and 8.6 million girls are enrolled at
the primary level, and this drops to 3.6 million boys and 2.8 million girls at
the lower secondary level.
Furthermore, Early marriages of girls in Pakistan and other countries hinder
their collaboration in education. As then, they are involved in household
activities, and the pregnancy stage completely halts them from educational
purposes.
The role of corruption and mismanagement greatly affects the educational
institutions of Pakistan. The intrusion of political parties in the education
sector is the main reason for corruption in educational institutions. Due to
their intervention, they designate people who are faithful to them, who bow to
them, and who obey them in all their sayings. This frequently results in the
appointment of individuals who are inexperienced, ineligible, and lack the
proper skills to perform their jobs accordingly. They destroy the future of
millions of students. Moreover, fewer funds are accorded to the education
systems, and most of the funds are utilized by the education ministers for
personal projects rather than investing in the education system.
Important steps and solutions should be implied to improve the education system.
The first thing that should be focused on is ameliorating the quality of
teachers. This can be done by arranging teacher training programs, where they
should be given instructions regarding how to teach students and manage the
classes. The government should focus on engaging those teachers who are
passionate about teaching rather than just earning their salary and wasting the
time of students. It is an injustice for students to learn from teachers who
don’t care about their subject.
Secondly, the government should build on the infrastructure of educational
institutions. This will help not only teachers execute their jobs perfectly but
also students learn more and more lessons. The proper infrastructure reduces the
burden on teachers to do additional work just because they’re not provided with
appropriate resources.
Moreover, the government should begin technical education in non-rural areas for
women and jobless youth. Technical education provides them with the tools to
make use of their time correctly and helps them find jobs and opportunities.
Technical education also had a significant impact on the country’s economy by
taking part in productive activities. So, the Government must introduce
technical education to students, leading to the development of the country.
Furthermore, gender disparity is a crucial issue scattered throughout our
country that demands special attention from the government. It is foremost that
steps be taken by the government to eliminate gender disparity. Gender disparity
is not just a kind of fairness and justice; after eradicating gender inequality,
the government should build a society where everyone has equal opportunities to
live with dignity and grant their skills and talents. But this can only be
achieved by enacting strategies such as giving equal pay for equal work,
providing access to quality education and medical management for all genders,
promoting women’s empowerment, and addressing cultural and societal norms
conserved in society. The government shouldn’t only incorporate it into laws and
regulations but should also implement it.