The question I keep asking myself, is how many more episodes we are going to witness before we decide to address the core problem of our society. The root of the issue is embedded in the lack and quality of education in Pakistan. I would like to remind readers here that Pakistan has 22.8 million children, the second highest number of children in the world, between the age of 5 – 16 who are not in education. The quality of learning delivered is so poor that according to recent surveys, only 1 out 5 children can read or write by the time they complete Primary Education.
Education builds the foundations of any society. The type of education available shapes our future and determines if we are going to be in the position of helping others or continuously asks for help for ourselves. When talking about education in Pakistan, we are essentially dealing with two issues here:
1. The rogue attitude of our society
2. The ability to compete with the world.
Many decades of neglect in human development, political priorities, vested interests and multiple education systems have only created divisions and inequality in our system. We have now sunk in too deep, that escaping from this is not going to be easy. The current situation requires very sensible strategic planning and very wise use of our minimum resources. A short term and long term plan is needed to address problems. Some of the measures that can be taken include but are not limited to;
1. Equipping our madrassas with modern education: Investing in their teachers and introducing a modern curriculum that is mandatory for all children in addition to Islamic education. Overtime the Madrassas should replace regular schools, or children should only be allowed to join a Madrassa once they have completed their secondary education at least. This immediate investment will impact at least 1.72 million children who are already studying in madrassas, of which 200,000 are girls. We need a governing body that regulates all the processes and procedures via a focused quality assurance system.
2. Investment in our teachers: Teachers build society and have the most important role to play in repairing any damage done. Investment in effective teacher training will help us rid the century old system of memorising, and expecting children to not think or question. Our goal is to create a nation of thinkers, problem solvers and that will only happen if our children are engaged in positive conversations in their classrooms; when teachers become facilitators and create a vibrant learning environment. Investing in our teachers is a wise investment that can really trigger the change that we seek in our system. The investment in our teachers is much more important than investing in large school infrastructures.
Some of the training may include:
a. Behaviour change programs
b. Methodology of teaching
c. English Language Training
d. Providing effective feedback
e. How to track student progression
3. Introduction of Education reforms: Right now is the perfect opportunity to introduce education reforms that will bring us up to date with the changing world. With 64% of our population under 30, we are very quickly heading towards another crises. To create opportunities we need more and more entrepreneurs who can create successful businesses and job opportunities. However, this will not happen if we are not teaching our children and equipping them with the right skill set to be compete globally.
Pakistan does not have an early education system for 3 – 5 year olds. Neither the law nor any policies cover learning at the foundation level. This needs to be introduced immediately and early childhood centres needs to be set up in existing government schools.
Primary and secondary education also requires reforms with a greater focus on literacy, numeracy and IT Skills, along with general knowledge (science, history, geography) and Islamiyat with more of an emphasis on Islamic ethics. After secondary education, young people should have the choice to choose between technical education or regular subject specific education with the intent of assisting them to move towards their chosen career path(s).
A central young people tracking system needs to be put in place to track the progress of every child in Pakistan. This should include their progress in education, regular risk assessments that assess possible dropout or abuse, and provide regular career counselling until they are economically active.
Without the education system that promotes equal opportunities regardless of sex, religion or background, Pakistan cannot move forward. We need to know that we are a resource rich country but to utilise the resource we must prepare our children.
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