Deterioration of education.

By AFTAB AHMAD SHAIKH,

M.Sc(Physics),.M.A (Int.Rel:), M.A(Eco:) M.Ed.

 

 

	'Tis Education forms the common mind, Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined. Alexander Pope (1688–1744), English poet

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a tragedy that we the Pakistanis are fond of mere speeches and reports while we lack the practicality and perception towards our thoughts and issues. This sickens me a lot when someone invites me to produce my views about the state of affairs in Pakistan and particularly in the education sector; because I know that there the heaps of reports and research papers are available in the relevant institutions but due to impurity in the system, every positive suggestion is just useless. But when a right person at the wrong place asked me to bring forward my views in black and white, (as teacher particularly); and he kept on insisting to do that; so I made submission.

	All education is bad which is not self-education. Robertson Davies (1913–1995), Canadian novelist and critic.

 

 

 

 

“To me education is a sub-sector of government; and the good government arises from stable political system; that exists in a society where social justice rules, while it is born through mature and awakened nationhood and sincere approach towards reality that is seeded by genuine, sincere and competent leadership and it is a misfortune that our leadership is not up to the mark and we lack it!”

 

Though after getting through 33 years of my life; I think, I am able to diagnose the real maladies in the state’s education system yet as it has become a fashion not to sum up so quickly that prevents your exposure; so I would like to go in a bit detail.

 

HISTORY OF POLITICS AND BAD GOVERNANCE THAT TOLD UPON EDUCAITON.

 
The British ruled the Indian subcontinent for nearly 200 years—from 1756 to 1947. After a revolt between 1857 and 1859, the British gradually initiated political reform and re-engineering various systems with positive and negative points but mainly aimed at the point of their own good and governance.
By 1940, however, the Muslim League had resolved to seek the partitioning of the subcontinent and the creation of a separate Muslim state. The British then decided on partition and on August 14, 1947, transferred power to Pakistan. Unfortunately to achieve the goal of freedom, League had to sacrifice principles, when a large number of people from feudal and other influential classes were given high profile importance. This resulted ultimate wreckage of various systems in the country including the seizure of political stability and the education, being the top most important sector of state growth, got nasty blows.

Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others. Ayn Rand (1905–1982), Russian-born U.S. writer and philosopher

The division of the subcontinent caused tremendous dislocation of populations. The demographic shift caused an unending bitterness between the two countries that was further intensified and specially affected Pakistan’s national objectivity, economics and stability in the institutions. Bi-polar world, hostile alliances, unrealistic approach towards policy, selfishness and insincere leadership remained fail to guide the country and hit the country’s power supply “the education”.

 

 

 

The first government of Pakistan was headed by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah as governor-general, from 1947 to 1951 the country functioned under chaotic conditions though the government endeavored to create a new national capital, organize the bureaucracy and the armed forces, resettle refugees, and contend with provincial politicians who often defied its authority yet failed to offer any program of economic and social reform, however, it did not gain popular support.

After Liaquat was assassinated in 1951, Khwaja Nazimuddin, an East Pakistani who had been governor-general since Jinnah’s death in 1948, became prime minister, and was forced to yield to another East Pakistani, Muhammad Ali Bogra, in 1953. Muhammad Ali Bogra was then replaced by Chaudhri Mohammad Ali, a West Pakistani. At the same time, General Iskander Mirza became governor-general. Prime Minister Ali remained in office only until September 1956, when he was succeeded by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, leader of the Awami League of East Pakistan. His tenure lasted for slightly more than a year, Mirza forced Suhrawardy to resign. The succeeding coalition government, headed by Ismail Ibrahim Chundrigar, lasted only two months

	One has to be a lowbrow, a bit of a murderer, to be a politician, ready and willing to see people sacrificed, slaughtered for the sake of an idea, whether a good one or a bad one. Henry Miller (1891–1980), U.S. novelist.

 

 

 

Ayub ruled Pakistan almost absolutely for more than ten years, and his regime made some notable achievements, although it did not eliminate the basic problems of Pakistani society. The Basic Democratic System by him had four tiers of government from the national to the local level, and each tier was assigned certain responsibilities in administering the rural and urban areas, such as maintenance of elementary schools, public roads, and bridges. Partial progress in the education sector was observed a bit but cannot be called as up to the mark. Ayub tried unsuccessfully to make amends, and in March 1969 he resigned. Instead of transferring power to the speaker of the National Assembly, as the constitution dictated, he handed it over to the commander in chief of the army, General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan. Yahya assumed the presidential office and declared martial law. And started directing the un-ending motion picture “Nudity in the Presidency”.

Yahya dismissed almost 300 senior civil servants and identified 30 families that were said to control about half of Pakistan’s gross national product contrary  his intended reforms broke down with the country’s weakened infrastructure collapsed. East Pakistan was intervened on December 3, 1971, and the Pakistani army surrendered 13 days later. On December 20, Yahya relinquished power to Bhutto.

Under Bhutto’s leadership a diminished Pakistan began to rearrange its national life. Bhutto nationalized the basic industries, insurance companies, domestically owned banks, and schools and colleges. He removed the armed forces from the process of decision making, but to placate the generals he allocated about 6 percent of the gross national product to defense. In 1973 the National Assembly adopted the country’s fifth constitution. Bhutto became prime minister, and Fazal Elahi Chaudry replaced him as president. Although discontented, the military remained silent for some time. Bhutto’s nationalization programs and land reforms further earned him the enmity of the entrepreneurial and capitalist class, and the religious elements saw in his socialism an enemy of Islam. His decisive flaw, however, was his inability to deal constructively with the opposition. His rule grew heavy-handed. In general elections in March 1977, losing in three of the four provinces, the PNA alleged that Bhutto had rigged the vote. The PNA boycotted the provincial elections a few days later and organized demonstrations throughout the country that lasted for six weeks.

	Let the people think they govern and they will be governed. William Penn (1644–1718), English preacher and colonialist.

 

 

 

When the situation seemed to be deadlocked, the army chief of staff, General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, staged a coup on July 5, 1977, and imposed another martial-law regime. Bhutto was tried for political murder and found guilty; he was hanged on April 4, 1979.

The proper memory for a politician is one that knows when to remember and when to forget. John Morley (1838–1923), British statesman and writer.

Zia formally assumed the presidency in 1978 and announced that Pakistan’s laws should conform to Islamic law.  The constitution of 1973 was amended accordingly in 1979, and Sharia (Islamic law) courts were established to exercise Islamic judicial review.

 

 

Pakistan was greatly affected by the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in December 1979; by 1984 some 3 million Afghan refugees were living along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, supported by the government and by international relief agencies. After a referendum in December 1984 endorsed Zia’s Islamic-law policies and the extension of his presidency until 1990, Zia permitted elections for parliament in February 1985. A civilian cabinet took office in April, and martial law ended in December. Zia was dissatisfied, however, and in May 1988 he dissolved the government and ordered new elections. Three months later he was killed in an airplane crash possibly caused by sabotage, and a caretaker regime took power.

  A civil servant, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, was appointed president, and Benazir Bhutto became prime minister after her PPP won the general elections in November 1988 but was dismissed, charging misconduct, and declared a state of emergency. Bhutto and the PPP lost the October elections by the new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif,

In April 1993 Ishaq Khan once again used his presidential power, this time to dismiss Sharif and to dissolve parliament. However, Sharif appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and in May the court stated that Khan’s actions were unconstitutional, and the court reinstated Sharif as prime minister. Sharif and Khan subsequently became embroiled in a power struggle that paralyzed the Pakistani government. In an agreement designed to end the stalemate, Sharif and Khan resigned together in July 1993, and elections were held in October of that year. Bhutto’s PPP won a plurality in the parliamentary elections, and Bhutto was again named prime minister.

	A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of the nation. A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service. Georges Pompidou (1911–1974), French president.

 

 

 

Pakistan was beset by domestic unrest beginning in the mid-1990s. Violence between rival political, religious, and ethnic groups erupted frequently within Sind Province, particularly in Karâchi and nation has also been suffering from the Kashmir problem with India.

In 1996 Bhutto’s government was dismissed by President Farooq Leghari amid allegations of corruption. New elections in February 1997 brought Nawaz Sharif back to power in a clear victory for the Pakistan Muslim League. One of Sharif’s first actions as prime minister was to lead the National Assembly in passing a constitutional amendment stripping the president of the authority to dismiss parliament. The action triggered a power struggle between Sharif, Leghari, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. When the military threw its support behind Sharif, Leghari resigned and Shah was removed. Sharif’s nominee, Rafiq Tarar, was then elected president.

Tensions escalated further in 1998, when India conducted several nuclear tests. Pakistan responded with its own tests, detonating nuclear weapons for the first time in its history. The Pakistani government then declared a state of emergency, invoking constitutional provisions that operate when Pakistan’s security comes under “threat of external aggression.” Many foreign countries, including the United States, imposed economic sanctions against both India and Pakistan for exploding nuclear devices.

This whole brief history can better explain how and why the nation lost its standard and manifestation; this political and ruling instability badly hampered the nation and state affairs. No one can remain unaware of the fact that circumstances of our state never allowed any one to look towards the serious matters of education. Not only education but nearly every department of the country got rusted and lost its purposefulness and validity.

 

 

The current state of education

The current state of education in Pakistan is really quite shocking. According to a Oxfam International study, while the proportion of children not attending school in South Asia to the global total will fall by half by the year 2005, Pakistan will account for an increasingly larger share of children that are not attending school. In fact, the study warns that by 2005 Pakistan will account for 40 percent of the region's children out of school, compared to 27 percent in 1995.  What is the reason behind the high drop-out rate and somewhat apparent disinterested behavior of the less fortunate? Apart from socio-economic constraints and the dearth of adequate resources and schooling facilities (many youngsters find themselves squeezed into crowded dilapidated classrooms, lacking even basic writing material, while the teachers drill lessons by rote) the Oxfam study attributes the prevailing attitude to the dismal quality of the education on offer and the poor results of the investment in education. A recent survey in Pakistan revealed that only 34 percent of children who completed primary school could read with comprehension and over 80 percent were unable to write a simple letter.  Pakistani government has consistently failed to fulfil their responsibility. It is not as if the government of Pakistan does not understand the urgency of reform in the education sector.

 

 

If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused. Attributed to: Walter Mondale (1928– ), U.S. politician and lawyer.

 

 

 

Acknowledging the dire prevailing state of human development, Pakistan’s National Education Policy covering the period 1998-2010 has set ambitious targets - such as 90 percent enrolment by While it is the responsibility of the government to fulfill the basic human right of education, the2002. But while Pakistan's policy is long on vague platitudes about the merits of education, it is quite short on essential details and financial and administrative measures on how its goals are to be achieved. In the words of late Mahbub ul Haq ''Political commitment for aspirated campaign to universalize primary education in the shortest possible time is still lacking in the country."  Furthermore, the government’s efforts in education have been limited to increasingly the quantity of schools as opposed to the quality of the schooling. This as the Oxfam study pointed out earlier serves as disincentive rather than an incentive for parents to send children to schools and in effect leads to misallocation and wastage of scarce resources.  Most of us fail to look beneath the surface and dismiss the dire state of the Pakistan’s education system as yet another incident of government mismanagement. A closer look unveils the harsh reality. The cost of government failure is evident in human suffering, gender disparity, ethnic conflict, frustration and helplessness, disease and even death.  For our own mental satisfaction, we often overlook and these costs and forget that every individual, especially the more affluent, has responsibility towards the less fortunate.

 

the planning at grassroots level and the statistics

Rather unfortunately Pakistan happens to be one of those countries where basic figures are not readily available. Even the Ministry of Education won't be able to provide you the exact number of schools in the country. Even the private sector in education is not very keen on maintaining records in a transparent manner. You approach the All Private Schools Management Association and they won't be able to tell you how many private schools are there in operation. They might not even disclose the number of schools who are their members.                                                                                              

One wonders if any ministry or any NGO has the list of the educational institutions running in the country. You run from pillar to post but you won't get these figures in any amount of time.

So basically it's all guess work on which all the planning in the education sector is being based. It's amazing how the Ministry of Education has been formulating their policies in the absence of the actual figures.

Isn't it a pity that the education sector or more specifically the people entrusted with the task of managing its affairs have no interest in procuring the data to work out the actual figures.

Quite a few organisations and individuals have tried gathering the data on schools but hardly can anyone claim to have achieved the objective in full. We are, therefore, hardly aware about the number of children studying in primary schools or those receiving education in secondary schools.

People like Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, Federal Minister of Science and Technology, should initiate the process of collecting the date on schools. The data should be computerised so that changes could be incorporated promptly.

Before working on improving the standard of education, efforts should be made to provide basic facilities to the students in the government schools.

It's a bitter reality that a number of government schools in a megapolis as developed as Karachi don't offer desks and the students are forced to sit on the floors even in the chilly weather. Many schools don't have roofs for classrooms and the students remain exposed to the blazing sun for many hours.

And don't ask about water and electricity. Very few schools can boast of having these vital facilities. A number of schools don't have toilets. And even those who do have toilets, there's very little they could do to maintain it properly.

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) have been formed in many government schools. But very few PTAs have been able to function in the desired manner. The majority of the PTA have been existing merely on paper.

Those responsible in the field of education should be motivated to discharge their duties in a professional manner. If they won't be doing justice to their responsibilities how would the department run smoothly.

Grassroot education is one area which deserves special attention. The government schools, after providing the students all the basic facilities, should concentrate on improving the standard of education.

Since the majority of people in the country are not in a position to have their children educated in private schools, the government schools have to shoulder the responsibility of teaching the tiny tots in a befitting manner.

It's universally accepted that the children learn very quickly when they are in 4-6 year-old age group. So it should be ensured that the little children are provided the desired environment to learn properly. It's their right.

Parents continue to foot the exorbitant bills of private schools mainly because they desire their children having a strong base. They know how important it is to let their children receive good education at the outset.

Private schools have been providing the service but at a rather high cost. Most of the private schools have been charging very high fees compared to the facilities they are offering.

Of course primary education has become expensive in developed countries but an under-developed country like Pakistan, experiencing recession, cannot afford to let the fee rise so sharply.

If the fees of the private schools continue to rise without an effective check, lesser people would be able to let their children enrolled which would generate greater load for the government schools.

It should be made compulsory for the private schools to fulfill a set of conditions to be laid down by the government. For example every school must have a library in their premises. It should be a real library, not just an old cupboard having a few sample publications.

In practice there are very few private schools which do have a proper library in their campus which is indeed a pity. In this the information age, they should be persuaded to start a library period on a daily basis for all their students.

Last but not the least the students of primary schools should have the access to the computer. The time has arrived when even a Class I student should be using the computers. For a start the private schools should be directed to have Pentium computers, not the obsolete 386 or 486 models, in their campus and regular computer classes should be held. The private schools will not yield until the government gets into the act in a serious manner.

It's high time that organised efforts are made to improve the standard of education and greater efforts are needed to get things on the move in the grassroot education sector.

 

Countrywide education plan: A task still unaccomplished

"Read!" says the first revealed verse of the Holy Quran, exhorting the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and all those who believe in the message he brought with him. In fact the first injunction by God to His last Messenger (PBUH) was to read. The significance is not hard to understand or comprehend. Again, going back to the instructions of the Holy Quran, the second chapter titled "Al Baqarah" relates how Adam was conferred a superior status because he was taught the names of all things. An interpretation of the Holy Text says that Adam was imparted the knowledge of all things. This is verified in the other chapters specially Sura "Al Rahman" where the opening verses emphatically proclaim:                                                        

"Al Rahman (The Beneficent)! He taught the knowledge of the Quran and gave man the power of speech...."

Thus the primary purpose of reading as stressed in our book of guidance, and also emphasised by our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, is to acquire knowledge. For, it is knowledge that educates us about everything, and educates us about everything. It is the power of speech and the ability to read that enables us to gather knowledge and differentiates us from all other forms of creation. It is a process that begins with the first gulps of breath drawn by an infant in his nurse's arms and ends with the last gasps that terminate his appointed years of life on this world.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have pardoned those prisoners of war captured in the battle of Badr, who were willing to teach reading and writing to those who were unlettered among the believing Muslims. He is also reported to have stated that one should seek knowledge even if it means going to China. The Messenger of Allah, even though appeared unlettered in the eyes of the world, but the knowledge imparted and revealed to him encompassed the entire universe and dealt with each and every aspect of life, death and the hereafter. That is why he is reported to have described himself as the "City of knowledge." The one who came next to him in terms of knowledge and wisdom is Ali bin Abu Talib, whom the Holy Prophet (PBUH) defined as 'Baab-al -ilm' meaning the "Gate to the City of knowledge".

	The task of the educator of young children lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility, and evil with activity. Attributed to: Maria Montessori (1870–1952), Italian doctor and educationalist.

 

 

 

 

 

Pakistan came into being as the result of the historic struggle of the Muslims of undivided India. The foremost names that lead the list of those who led the freedom struggle happen to be those that were the most educated ones of their age. Names like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Mashriqi, the Ali brothers, Sir Abdur Rab Nishtar, I.S. Suhurwardi, Zafar Ali Khan, Allama Iqbal and Mohammad Ali Jinnah are known to all those who have even that nodding acquaintance with history. There are many other names lying hidden like unremembered gems in the annals of the struggle for independence.

Sadly enough, the Quaid-i-Azam passed away a year after the birth of the nation. His sister Fatima Jinnah was rendered ineffective in carrying out the ideals that her brother had for his Pakistan. However, another tragedy followed with the assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan. Then came men who were interested only in sitting on the throne of power and doing little for the well-being of the nation. Millions were spent on frivolous expenditures, devoid of real benefits, while almost nothing was spent on educating the poor and their children. The result was that with each passing year the number of uneducated people kept rising in our country. Its opposite i e child labour soared to a record high level.

It is an accepted fact -- revealed in public during the course of a public vocational centre's opening at a town near Rawalpindi, by the former information minister Javed Jabbar, last year -- that our policy makers have the least amount kept aside for implementing whatever educational policies that may have been made on paper. The funds allocated to the education sector, is reportedly so dismally low, that it need not be mentioned. It is a tragedy that in a land of people whose first duty is to "READ" and acquire the best education, only a negligible fund is earmarked for education.

The pitiable state of affairs assumes worsening proportions when women's education is taken into account. Already considered a taboo in the villages of our country, even the most affluent of some families consider it unnecessary for a girl child to go to school, learn to read and write, and get educated in a proper way. Here, in our land, education is linked to employment; whereas if one interprets it properly it should be employment that should be linked to education. Education in line with the needs and requirements of the nation will surely generate employment. Otherwise, why are so many talented and educated Pakistani men and women are going out of the country, creating a brain-drain situation here?

It is no use crying over spilt milk. The oats that have been turned into flakes of ash will not revert to their original form by merely lamenting. It is up to all the educated men, women and children of Pakistan, to launch a campaign for educating one and all, girl and boy, right from the moment they learn to speak. Parents must come out and play their due role in this respect. If the rich can send their sons and daughters to foreign lands then they can also donate some part of their riches to educate the bright and talented girls and boys of poor parents.

The Ministry of Education, headed by Ms Zubaida Jalal, must come out and evolve a consensus on formulating a nationwide education policy. The text book boards must not be monopolised by government bodies. Education is not any particular person's property. It is a treasure chest that can be opened by anyone who has the keys to open it. Ms Jalal and her qualified team of experts must wake up and become aware that until and unless our education standards are not set in line with world standards, our country will not move ahead in any field. In a nutshell the team should remember that knowledge is power and the better we work on acquiring this power the better it will be for all Pakistanis.

 

 

Declining academic standards

Let us have an interesting view over the same topic;  that can help us finding the position where we are standing.

The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), Hyderabad region, has levelled some serious allegations of corruption and maladministration against the University of Sindh and the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Hyderabad, with facts and figures, which have not been contradicted yet. The association has also accused the education department of breach of trust and agreement but there is no response from it either.

The freedom of forming associations is guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan and it is the fundamental duty of professional associations and trade unions to press for the resolution of their problems. When allegations are not contradicted by the authorities concerned, the general impression is that the allegations are correct. The SPLA brought it on record that in the Hyderabad region alone, which covers eight districts of Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad divisions and Nawabshah district, as many as 600 posts of teachers and 25 posts of principals were lying vacant in 60 colleges. This naturally has had a telling effect on the entire educational system. The teachers seem to be only concerned about their own facilities with little regard to imparting education. The college teachers may not be responsible for the secondary education but the situation right from the school education to university is almost the same.

How far the standard of education has deteriorated is clear from the SSC results announced by the Hyderabad BISE on Thursday. According to the fact-sheet of the results, a total of 60,784 candidates appeared in the examination out of which only 15,267 were declared successful in all the subjects and the overall percentage of successful candidates was 25.56 in the science group. In the general group, a total of 1,628 students appeared in the examination out of which only 556 students were declared successful, and the percentage was a little better i.e. 34.15.

However, I have been told that this is not the whole truth. According to insiders, the results, which were to be declared in the end of July, were delayed as only 10 per cent of the candidates got through the examination. The percentage, therefore, had to be increased with the approval of the high-ups to avoid embarrassment. The only redeeming feature is that with the introduction of pre-entry test, the board has

 

become more cautious and, for a change, it has started announcing genuineresults.

It has also been decided that "E" grade students will not be granted admission in any government college. Some restrictions have also been reportedly placed on "D" grade students. It is quite natural for the students, their parents and the teachers associations to oppose this but it must be said in all fairness that it is a step in the right direction. I have written on many occasions, even at the risk of repeating myself, that there cannot and should not be any compromise on the standard of education. Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular cannot afford to produce thousands of illiterate graduates. It is absolutely wrong to say that thousands of poor students will be deprived of their right to higher education. It is neither the right of the rich nor of the poor students but the exclusive right of those who earn it through their labour and scholarships.

The SSC Part-II results also speak volumes about the inefficiency of the teachers. It will be interesting to note that the first three positions in the examination went to St. Bonaventure High School in the science group. Why is it that the honour is always won by the students of St Bonaventure, Petaro College, Public School and some other private schools? The reason is that the teachers in these institutions are not only conscientious but they are also made to work hard by the school managements. How can the standard of education be improved when the teachers themselves write incorrect English?

I refuse to believe that English is a foreign language. It is the lingua franca of the world and all the scientific subjects in the universities and colleges of Pakistan are being taught in English. For those who consider English the language of "Farangis", I would like to submit that some of our worthy teachers even do not know how to write correct Sindhi. Only two days ago, our worthy teachers warned the government at a press conference that they would launch a protest movement from Karachi to Kashmore if there demands were not accepted. A Sindhi colleague pointed out at least half-a-dozen mistakes in the written Sindhi text of the press conference. Who is responsible for such a deplorable state of affairs? I will squarely place the responsibility on the shoulders of the teachers and those who appointed them. One can only appeal to the authorities to at least spare the education sector, lest the country should import teachers from outside.

According to the views and news we experience the reference is necessary and interesting:-

The vice chancellor, University of Sindh, Dr Rashid A Shah said that the educational system in Pakistan had failed to take stock of the ground realities and there was no proper planning.

The vice chancellor, Isra University, Hyderabad, Dr Asadullah Qazi, who is also a former student of Sindh University, said that it was not fair to blame students for all the wrong doings at the campuses, and added that the teachers, university administration, political parties and successive governments were equally responsible for the declining standard of education and the deteriorating law and order situation at the campuses of the province.

Dr Qazi said that students were under tremendous pressure as they were waiting at a crossroad totally unsure as to what the future held for them in this rapidly changing and challenging world, and added that the university administration should facilitate the work of both teachers and students and refrain from creating obstacles in their path.

Speakers at a seminar on Sunday said the standard of education could not be improved until better teachers were employed and qualitative improvement in the syllabus was introduced.

Speaking at a seminar on 'Current Issues of Education', organized by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Core Group on Academic Freedom, they said social science subjects such ashistory, literature, philosophy, etc, which were very important for the grooming of a person, be given due importance.

They said at present the teachers were not given due respect by society and a majority of teachers were those who had either failed to get gainful employment or had entered the teaching profession till the time they got, according to them, a better job offer.

They also said that research, which was one of the major ingredients for the progress of a nation in any field, be encouraged and that an atmosphere of freedom be created in the local educational institutions.

Dr Mehdi Hassan, from Lahore, said a university in Punjab did not give a PhD degree to the person who had given a constitution to this country, but it immediately gave a PhD (in Law) to Gen Zia, who violated the constitution.

Recently, the university also approached Gen Pervaiz Musharraf but he declined the offer. He said that out of the over Rs600 million budget of Punjab University, only 1.6 per cent was spent on research.

Referring to an earlier discussion about the posting of rangers in Karachi University, Dr Mehdi said: "You are worried about rangers while there are at least two universities where the vice chancellors are generals and other administrative posts in the universities are held by brigadiers, majors, captains, etc."

He said that if status of a teacher was made more respectable, better qualified people would like to become teachers. This, in turn, would produce good students and then there would be no need to post

 

law enforcement agency people in educational institutions.

Dr Mehdi Hassan said that it was high time that the intellectual movement, which began in the Europe some 400 years back, be started here so that some manner of qualitative change could be expected in this society after a decade or so.

He said that our society has become materialistic and the little emphasis given to education was on subjects which eventually land lucrative jobs. On the contrary, nobody was interested in subjects such as history, philosophy, literature, etc., which were important for the development of character.

He said that it was the duty of the state to provide education, but the state had always considered education as an adversary which was not a new phenomenon. Earlier, governments in Europe had termed the printing of books as an act against the welfare of the state and prosecuted many people for it. The practice, he said, continued till the 1690s.

Dr Mehdi said the reason was that after getting educated, people realized their rights and demanded facilities and services from the state. But since funds, due to wrong priorities, were not available, it was not ready to provide these services.

Navin Haider of the Karachi University spoke about the role of law enforcement agencies in regulating academic freedom. She said that the presence of rangers in the university for over a decade had created an atmosphere of harassment. She said that at the time of their posting, it was said that it was to be a temporary arrangement and that the rangers would be removed soon after the situation improved.

Ten years later, no doubt, the situation had improved, but the government now said that if the rangers were withdrawn violence would again flare up. She said that while the students were not allowed to hold meetings at the campus, a certain student organization was allowed to hold a referendum and also organize other activities within the university.

Calling for setting the priorities right, she said that on one hand the grants for the universities was going down and on the other, government spending on arms and bombs was going up.

Dr M. Ali Yousuf of the Hamdard University, talking on information technology said that many private institutions had mushroomed and were offering degrees in information technology. He said that other technologies were equally important and should not be disregarded.

He also said that private institutions should not only keep their commercial interests in mind but should also have a commitment for education. He said that private institutes considered students as clients and most of the time gave in to their demands. At times, even the teachers were changed on the demand of the students which was not fair.

Some of the banners displayed at the venue read: 'Iqra surcharge be spent on education, Grants of universities be restored, Self-finance scheme be abolished' and 'Education is a right and not a favour'.

Re-defining the education
 

One hundred and forty million people, whose full sixty per cent constitute young men and women, are our resource as well as our liability. Let us not be oblivious to or plunder this vast reservoir of human resource as we have done with our natural resources. Pakistan is a land of five rivers and we are facing water crisis. A large part of the country is mountainous belt but we don't know what to do with our mountains. There are vast tracts of fertile land but marred by water logging and salinity and which have the lowest yield per hectare. We are one of the seven declared nuclear nations upon this planet, but crippled by energy shortages.

	For me, education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better. Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950), U.S. historian, writer, and educator.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

The valuable human resource is also as neglected as our mountains, as little harnessed as our water resources, as poorly organized as our agricultural lands and as narrowly viewed as our nuclear capabilities.

We will have to redefine education -- the only way out from the lowly status we enjoy among the fraternity of nations. It is only educating the masses, particularly the women that give us a glimmer of hope to rise to any acceptable level.

But has this been not obvious to our planners, present or past, to the governors, howsoever bad governance they indulged in, or to our think-thanks, whatever little say they had in the circle of power?

There have been many attempts. Not just lip service but many concrete efforts. Funds were provided to construct school buildings in the rural areas and the suburbs but they turned into stables or were annexed to the landlord's properties. Primary and secondary school teachers were appointed from amongst the local populace to instruct the children of their village in languages and arithmetic, and they managed to

become ghost teachers and ghost school. There was "Nai Roshni" scheme where lost time could be regained but the scheme itself lost into oblivion in no time. There is no dearth of education policies, conferences, moots and seminars and we all agree on the spread of education as cornerstone of the development.

How then, are we going to redefine education? From the day educational institutions were nationalised, the government assumed all responsibilities of spread of education, quality or quantity, primary or tertiary, humanities or technology, medicine or engineering. This was a daunting task, too heavy to be accomplished by the weak governments who were always worried for their own survival and often immersed in mega corruption.

Looking at the fast pace, private institutes have sprawled and flourished, in the urban centres, one can say that for the first time the society has taken the task of educating its members in its own hands. There may be inexperienced individuals, perhaps short sighted, often greedy, but they are fulfilling a need that was very much there -- a goal-oriented education. Information Technology and Computer Science entered late; it all started with business education, which suggested a job orientation.

The market economy prevails ruthlessly. There is a local market and there is an export potential. No one individual, young or old, has sought an admission in MA Arabic or MA Bengali for years. Enrolment in Philosophy and History are simply dismal and now Physics and Zoology are badly hit at the higher level of education.

Policy makers and planners are not being consulted. Educationists and administrators have taken a back seat. The young men and women are carving a niche for themselves. They are asking for an education which makes them a productive worker in business and industry.

This is the current definition of education. This is how we have to re-engineer our educational system. And education which converts a raw hand into a skilled worker to be employed in a gainful activity, within the country or abroad. The young men and women are not indisciplined, nor impatient nor are they looking for short-cuts. They prefer a four year BS over a three year bachelor. And they have suddenly stopped taking interest in a two-year BSc.

It is not just IT or MCS or MBA. They are keen to enter any course of studies in technology, science, arts or commerce; only it has to have a job market. The youth of our time is not ready to accept any philosophical definition of education. The degree must translate in to a job, and a well-paid at that.

Is this definition unacceptable to us, the educationists, the administrators, the professors and doctors? There is nothing new in this definition. We have accepted, for decades, the hierarchy of engineering and medicine being on top of the list of choices of careers, followed by natural sciences, then commerce; the literature and ethics trailing far behind. This too was market orientation, albeit in a disguise. Now the intentions have been made clear and no ambiguity left. The sooner we accept the reality, the better. I keep reminding myself, lest I preach the noble aspects of reading literature and philosophy to my neighbor's son and insist upon choosing between computer and medicine for my own daughter. Let us be honest to ourselves for once.

The education imparted to a young man or woman for sixteen to eighteen precious years have to yield tangible results. Education helps actualization of self. It makes one realize his or her own potentials. It makes better citizens. But above all, he or she must land into a profitable job. There is no shame in it. Let this be the beginning of an educational revolution in urban Pakistan.

 

Real need for re-engineering; Higher Education in Pakistan

Frequent experimentation over the decades has rendered our system of education somewhat directionless and the experts in the field believe that there is a real need for re-engineering the entire system of education in the country.  There are some who are convinced that such a process was needed long ago as according to them the pattern of our education system was so shaped that its main aim is not to seek the truth-which is the very basis of the process of learning.

 

	Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936), English writer and poet.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                           

A prominent philosopher and the Vice-Chancellor of Hamdard University, Prof. Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, even went to the extent of suggesting that there is a basic need to re-think about the whole educational system and bring it at par with the modern academic standards.

He believed that the very purpose of a university is to seek truth but it is unfortunate that we have ignored this aspect of the process of learning.

Are our universities performing their functions properly?. This seems to be a debatable issue. Once the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, who himself is a celebrated and internationally recognised scientist, had remarked that there is no creative output of the public sector universities in the country.

Many of the senior faculty members had expressed annoyance at such candid uttering of the Minister who himself belongs to the fraternity of the educationalists.

The Chairman of Pakistan Engineering Council, Prof. Dr. Jamil Ahmed Khan, is also of the view that the higher education in the country is in a bad shape.

He is of the opinion that the element of quality is very much missing and that there is no yardstick of gauging the standard of a university. Dr. Jamil also believed that the higher education cannot be imparted in isolation and that there has to be an increase in performance at every level so as to enable the country to make the required headway.

At present some 6000 to 7000 graduates are produced in the country annually and of these about 20 percent are stated to be having some quality and 1000 are able to do something.

 

What is more painful is that in our system, education is mostly considered a saleable commodity. Another flaw that has been pointed out in our system of education is that `we assume too much'.

The experts in the field are of the view that the malaise is much more deeper than is commonly believed. They think that there is a need for overhauling the entire system so as to meet the very objective of the acquisition of knowledge in its right spirit. In order to perform the task ably, all the segments of the society will have to join hands to perform a job of vital national significance. There are some who propose a complete transformation in the realms of education but also acknowledge that the country does not have sufficient resources and the trained manpower for the purpose.

The creation of these pre-requisites is a must for the exercise to this end. Education should be accorded the priority that it very much deserves and sufficient amount of money should be diverted for the purpose.

At present about 40 percent of education in Pakistan is provided by the private sector and it is thus sharing the burden in a big way.

The allocation for education in the country at the moment is 2.5 percent of the GNP whereas the UNESCO's target allocation is four percent.

However, with the enhanced allocation by the present government, Pakistan will be able to meet the target in the next three years' time.

Not only our country is lagging behind but the entire Muslim world is also facing more or less the same situation in the education sector.

Just for the sake of comparison, it would be pertinent to mention that the total GDP of the Muslim world is less than half that of Germany and a quarter that of Japan which has about 1000 universities. In all, 120 universities are in its capital Tokyo alone.

As against this, the total number of universities in the Islamic countries is mere 370 but of these only 20 can be termed as `genuine' universities.

This speaks of the very grim situation that we are faced with at the moment. At the same time we will have to make headway while ensuring the quality of the graduates that pass out from our educational institutions.

This is almost a Herculean target that needs tremendous amount of efforts. In the process we will have to be very clear in our approach that education is the process of training and developing the knowledge, skill, mind and character etc. especially by formal schooling, teaching and training.

The very purpose must be to foster knowledge and produce capable individuals who are competent enough to serve the society and the fellow human beings with the best of their abilities and capabilities.

Education is not for creating a class system which unfortunately is the case in our society.

We have two types of education- one for the children of the moneyed class with an excellent system of learning and almost an assured future for rapid upward mobility, and the other for the wards of the low income groups churning out mainly the clerks.

There is a need to bridge this gap which is widening with the passage of time. Steps should also be initiated to cleanse the system of education of all the ills that permeated it over the decades.

The cases of usage of unfair means in the examinations are on the increase. A mushroom growth of private tuition centres has been witnessed. Some elements try to adopt every possible step for getting their examination marks increased either by hook or by crook.

As such there is an urgent need to streamline the entire system of education. Besides allocating sufficient amount of funds for creating the required facilities, trained, competent and committed faculty members must also be inducted.

	And if education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind? Maria Montessori (1870–1952), Italian doctor and educationalist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is all the more necessary as we are living in a world that is considered a global village and as such we have to compete in order not only to survive but to make headway.

Therefore, every segment of the society will have to contribute his or her bit towards ensuring a better system of education thus ensuring a prosperous future for every one without any distinction or class system.

The goal is achievable provided the required and concerted efforts are put in.

 

Reform Efforts

Three initiatives characterized reform efforts in education in the late 1980s and early 1990s: privatization of schools that had been nationalized in the 1970s; a return to English as the medium of instruction in the more elite of these privatized schools, reversing the imposition of Urdu in the 1970s; and continuing emphasis on Pakistan studies and Islamic studies in the curriculum.

Until the late 1970s, a disproportionate amount of educational spending went to the middle and higher levels. Education in the colonial era had been geared to staffing the civil service and producing an educated elite that shared the values of and was loyal to the British. It was unabashedly elitist, and contemporary education--reforms and commissions on reform notwithstanding--has retained the same quality. This fact is evident in the glaring gap in educational attainment between the country's public schools and the private schools, which were nationalized in the late 1970s in a move intended to facilitate equal access. Whereas students from lower-class backgrounds did gain increased access to these private schools in the 1980s and 1990s, teachers and school principals alike bemoaned the decline in the quality of education. Meanwhile, it appears that a greater proportion of children of the elites are traveling abroad not only for university education but also for their high school diplomas.

 

The extension of literacy to greater numbers of people has spurred the working class to aspire to middle-class goals such as owning an automobile, taking summer vacations, and providing a daughter with a once-inconceivable dowry at the time of marriage. In the past, Pakistan was a country that the landlords owned, the army ruled, and the bureaucrats governed, and it drew most of its elite from these three groups. In the 1990s, however, the army and the civil service were drawing a greater proportion of educated members from poor backgrounds than ever before.

One of the education reforms of the 1980s was an increase in the number of technical schools throughout the country. Those schools that were designated for females included hostels nearby to provide secure housing for female students. Increasing the number of technical schools was a response to the high rate of underemployment that had been evident since the early 1970s. The Seventh Five-Year Plan aimed to increase the share of students going to technical and vocational institutions to over 33 percent by increasing the number of polytechnics, commercial colleges, and vocational training centers. Although the numbers of such institutions did increase, a compelling need to expand vocational training further persisted in early 1994.  The famous 2010 education policy by Nawaz’s government remained popular for few months specially on public media with reference to achieve new virtual heights but unfortunately neither in his regime nor after him produced any change in the dead educational system of ours.

	An art can only be learned in the workshop of those who are winning their bread by it. Samuel Butler (1835–1902), British writer, painter, and musician.

 

 

 

 

 

FEW MAJOR AND MINOR PROBLEM AREAS IN SUB-STANDARD WAY OF EDUCATION .

 

Lack of leadership;

Lifeless nationhood; Insincerity in national approach;

The policy of negative compromises and adjustments in serious matters;

Emotional and unrealistic attitude towards religious, cultural and social sectors;

Aimless and unscientific system; Lack of objectivity;

Timorous, coy, fearful and selfish attitude towards thorny matters;

Political anarchy and its evil adjustments;

Selfish politicians, greedy and self-centered elite; cowardly masses;

Corrupt state machinery; fragile and uneven economy; Social Injustice;

 Sub-standard officers and officials; Wrong persons at right places;

Bigotry; biasing; sicken and immature mentality of masses;

Inconsistency in implementation of policies;

Lack of validity of education; Un-fulfillment of economic and career building aspect;

British & western domination in national psychological attitude;

Believing the education as an unimportant sector;

Teaching & student mafia; their so called professional organizations;

Be deficient in merit policy; inadequate infrastructure;

Dominance of un/less educated upper class over the educated middle class;

Materialism and race for money; Pro-Indian way of living; family system & culture.

Rigid religious approach; unjust planning and implementation on it;

Heavy and aimless syllabus; Purposeless curriculum; Lack of funding and untimely funding;

Unjust or no award and punishment for the individuals;

Growing gap between Pakistanis  and Islam;  and much much more!

 

CONCLUSION.

 Much can be written on the topic but brevity is the soul of wit so I will like to conclude that “Hundred thoughts and suggestions are inferior to one step of positive practicality”; so it’s a high time to do something in real manner;  not to wait for a great dynamic leadership or crushing bloodshed  revolution in society but if and only if  an individual tries to remove the filth underneath, itself, than it will be far better than to call for the national mobilization for the removal of the filth.