Why does our education sector need a radical rethink?

 Ishtiaq Ahmed 

It is generally acknowledged and rightly so that ‘education’ is a route to achieving life aspirations and contributing to society. This is no different in Pakistan or anywhere else.

One of the most rehearsed quotes attributed to Qaide-i-Azam, the revered founding father of Pakistan, regarding the importance of education is: “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 may be wiped out altogether.”

Accordingly, the constitution of Pakistan stipulates: “The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children under the age of five to sixteen years in such a manner as may be determined by law” ( Article 25-A).

Yet, it is estimated that 22.8 million children, aged 5-16 are out-of-school, making Pakistan the world’s second-highest nation with a number of children being out of school; a staggering 44 per cent of the total population in this age group.

The reasons for this are manifold: poverty, insufficient schools, poor and outdated delivery, low aspirations, children kept off schooling to supplement the family income, amongst other things.

Pakistan has not properly planned and invested in education for decades.

Presently, the country spends 2.5% of its GDP on education and 1.2% on health, fundamentally the two most important launching pads for any level of sustained development.

Comparatively, India spends over 3% of its GDP on education and China spends 4.4% of its GDP on education. However, both of these are much larger economies with higher gross GDPs.

The cause of education has not been helped by the political instability which has been the hallmark of the country since it’s independence over 80 years ago.

The fact that no elected government has been able to complete its full term in the office throughout this period, with the coming and going of 19 prime ministers, political continuity was frequently circumvented by military interventions and martial laws. In these political comings and goings, the education of the nation has perhaps suffered the most.

There are, however, some excellent educational institutions in Pakistan, the envy of many developing nations but these remain beyond the reach of the masses. In most cases, the expense involved puts them out of the reach of average income Families and millions on or below the poverty threshold.

But the actual problem starts at the start of the schooling life. It is well acknowledged that early education is crucial in a child’s life. Yet, Pakistan’s primary education is in complete disarray. Lack of planning and investment has left the primary level schooling extremely inadequate.

The current situation is complex. Parents are faced with competing and divergent options of choosing between:

1. Government-run schools
2. Private sector schools
3. Madrassas system education
4. Charity-run institutions

By and large, the government-managed schools, particularly, those serving the rural communities, tend to be ill-resourced and inadequately equipped, generally relying on the passions and dedication of teachers and local philanthropists.

More than often they lack proper teaching resources, and adequate numbers of teachers with a minimum of supervision and direction. These problems are more acute at the primary level which in reality should be laying the foundation but this is generally not the case. The situation slightly gets better at the Middle and higher levels but many of the issues alluded to above are also there too.

Private schools, a somewhat recent phenomenon, are run as businesses with an eye more on profit than education. Education is considered a profitable business in Pakistan. Day by day, new institutes are opening not to provide quality education but to benefit from the growing gap in government provision.

Private schooling was originally developed to fill the gap left by government schools and to cater for the growing appetite of families that have realised the value of education and have acquired some means to meet the costs involved whilst also being frustrated by the inadequacy of government setup. The private establishments account for about 30% of the market and it is growing in a country with a 40% poverty rate.

Although fulfilling a need, private schools have done untold damage to the government schools by drawing away students. It is heart-breaking to see government schools buildings abandoned and derelict. This state of affairs will magnify if the government continues to ignore the public schooling system.

Pakistan also have a phenomenal number of ‘religious seminaries, ranging in size from small local setups to huge undertaking with the prime objective of imparting religious education.  Funded through philanthropy, zakat and sadqa givings, and fees, they differ substantially in their values and approach.

By and large they operate within the confine of religious education and refuse to step outside of this strictly adhered code. Often, there is no cross over to embrace the wider curriculum in broadly secular schools.

It is estimated that there are over 30,000 Madras’s in Pakistan and some estimates even put this figure at 45,000 and 60,000. At the present there is no exact way mowing the exact figure. But we do know is that these establishments have reach in millions. One estimate puts the figure at 2.5 millions.

The religious setup runs in parallel to the government/ private provision with none whatsoever or a minimum of cross over. The practically independent, unsupervised, and uncoordinated with a minimum of central direction or control.

Then there are schools which are run by local, national or international charities particularly in remote areas with no education provision of any type or for the children of families who are unable to afford any level of education related cost or for children of widowers and those who are deemed orphans.

These schools generally tend to be free and provide children bookings, schools uniforms and in some cases free lunches. The cost of running these schools is met by the respective charity. These are also practically independently managed and substantially vary in size and quality.

Therefore, the country’s education setup is somewhat dispirited and fraught with competing values, objectives, and styles. In fact, it is chaotic to state the obvious. It lacks a central focus. Essentially, the entire setup needs a radical rethink and overhaul. The inherent problems of vested and competing interests are so huge that the governments have been skirting around for decades without getting the bull by its horn.

It would be difficult to reverse the clock. Therefore, the way forward has to create a greater synergy between all the divergent providers through better direction, control and coordination. The starting point would be to stipulate core subjects throughout all the sectors with proper quality control and direction.

At the same time, there has to be commitment to widen and improve the scope and the quality of government provision through better planning, investment and direction. This would lessen the need for other strands of providers.

Where there is a will there is a way. But we have to ask, ‘is there will?’