What is Education?
Education is the simple
process of learning and knowing. It is not restricted to the schools only.
Education starts from the mother’s lap. Parents and family inculcate good
manners and make responsible citizens out of their children. Home is called
first school of the children, but the formal education starts from the school,
where they are taught, how to behave and understand what is going on around them.
Importance of Education
Education is very important
for every human being. It makes one able to understand what is happening around
us logically and clearly. Only educated person has the ability to take practical
decisions and make right moves at the right time. Human existence without
education is just like fecund land. Education not only enables individuals to
put their potential to best use and do something productive in the upcoming
future, but also plays a main role in shaping an individual to be a better,
responsible citizen and an active member of the society. An educated person
with self-confidence and precise moves knows how to transform the world.
Education provides the ladder for achieving success in life and enables us to
utilize skills and caliber in a constructive way. Therefore, it’s the prime
responsibility of an individual to get educated and live a prosperous life
while being a responsible citizen.
Problems in Education of Pakistan
Education
is considered as the cheapest defense of a nation. But the down trodden
condition of education in Pakistan bears an ample testimony of the fact that it
is unable to defend its own sector. Though 62 years have been passed and 23
policies and action plans have been introduced yet the educational sector is
waiting for an arrival of a savior. The government of Pervaiz Musharraf
invested heavily in education sector and that era saw a visible positive
educational change in Pakistani society. Now a days, the economic situation in
Pakistan is under stress and education is the worse effected sector in
Pakistan. The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan says,
“The state of Pakistan shall remove
illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum
possible period.”
In
Human development Report Pakistan is placed at 136th position for having just
49.9% educated populace. The primary completion rate in Pakistan, given by
Date Center of UNESCO, is 33.8% in females and 47.18% in males, which
shows that people in the 6th largest country of the world are unable to get the
basic education.
Problems
in Education
Following
are the problems in education in Pakistan.
1. Education
System is based on
Unequal Lines
The educational
system of Pakistan is based on unequal lines. Medium of education is different
in both, public and private sector. This creates a sort of disparity among
people, dividing them into two segments.
2. Regional
Disparity
Regional disparity is
also a major cause. The schools in Baluchistan (The Largest Province Of
Pakistan By Area) are not that much groomed as that of Punjab (The Largest
Province Of Pakistan By Population). In FATA, the literacy rate is deplorable
constituting 29.5% in males and 3% in females.
3. Ratio
of Gender Discrimination
The ratio of gender
discrimination is a cause which is projecting the primary school ratio of
boys & girls which is 10:4 respectively. For the last few years there
has been an increase in the growth of private schools. That not only harms the
quality of education but creates a gap among haves and has not.
4.
Lack
of Technical Education
The
lack of technical education is a biggest flaw in the educational policy that
has never been focused before. Therefore, less technical people mean less.
5.
Funds
The allocation
of funds for education is very low. It is only 1.5 to 2.0 percent of the total
GDP. It should be around 7% of the total GDP.
6.
Untrained Teachers
The
teachers in government schools are not well trained. People who do not
get job in any other sector, they try their luck in educational
system. They are not professionally trained teachers so they are unable to
train a nation.
7.
Poverty
Poverty
is also another factor that restricts the parents to send their children to
public or private schools. So, they prefer to send their children to madrassas
where education is totally free.
Recently,
minister of education announced a new Education policy for that next 10 years.
The interesting thing is that the previous educational policy from 1998 to 2010
is still not expired. Although it is projected to give new plans and to make
more promises with the nation. It is said in this policy that all the public
schools will be raised up to the level of private schools. No plan of action
have been discussed, yet a notice is issued to private schools to induct government
course in 5th and 8th class and these classes will bound to take board exams.
This disturbed the students of private sector also.
Solutions
for Educational System
Estimating the value of
education, the Government should take solid steps on this issue. Implementation
instead of projecting policies should be focused on. Allocation of funds should
be made easy from provinces to districts and then to educational institutes.
Workshops must be arranged for teachers. Foreign states are using LSS system.
This should be inducted in Pakistani schools to improve the hidden qualities of
children. Technical education must be given to all the classes. The education board
of Punjab has projected a plan to give tech- education to the children of
industrial workers. Promotion of the primary education is the need of time.
Teachers, professors and educationists should be consulted while devising any
plan, syllabus or policy. The state seems to give up her responsibility
and totally relying on private sector. The need of time is to bring education
in its original form to masses. Burdening students with so much books will not
work as he will not understand what the world is going to do next moment.
Education is the only cure of the instability in the state and can bring
revolution through evolution, by eradicating the social evils. This is how to remove illiteracy in Pakistan.
