31/05/2022
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The Shadow of Ignorance and the Need for Education Emergency.
Article By: Tufail Dawar
Tufail Dawar belong to Hurmaz village Tehsil Mir Ali.
Tufail Dawar is currently pursuing MPhil at Qauid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
Education is the fundamental right of every citizen in Pakistan. Education means ‘putting meaning of life’ in both genders for better survival. The 21st century demands skills and a literate society for survival. Darwin’s theory of evolution “Survival of the fittest” explains human beings’ adaptation according to their environmental change.
Human development (HD) can be possible by enhancing human abilities such as health, education, standard of living, and intellectual capacity. There are some conditions for the enhancing of HD like ensuring human rights, equality, participation, and role of institutions. Developed nations have been working hard in the aftermath of Industrial revolution because of the competition in the global market. For example, education ensures the enhancing human development. The European Union, United States, UK, Japan, China, Russia, and Canada invest in human enhancing abilities. The systematic approach of developed nations towards human enhancing abilities made the under-developed nations dependent on them, causing brain drain.
There are two key reasons behind Pakistan’s suffering in academia.
First, the looming economic crisis in the country directly hit our education sector. The current drastic budget cut for the Higher Education Sector shocked the country’s 120 Public sector universities Vice Chancellors. The universities demand Rs.104.98 billion from the Ministry of Finance which allocated only Rs.30 billion for HEC. These imbalances between demand and allocation of funds create more crises in the Higher education sector. The VCs of public universities, as an autonomous body, started to admit more students on self-finance (Evening Programme) basis to compensate for the deficit. Now, the old infrastructure of Public Universities with limited hostel facilities, libraries, research laboratories, café, and sports grounds has become a burden. Unfortunately, such drastic student admission affects the academic and research capabilities. The situation declares an ‘Education Emergency’. The universities in the fight for compensation for the deficit are losing their intellectual and research capabilities.
The crowded atmosphere in the public sector universities retards mental and psychological growth. Students’ focus is diverted and many give in to the urge of drug use for mental satisfaction. In the age of irrelevant information, the students with immature approach flunk in their subjects, which enhances anxiety and depression in their young and energetic phase of life. To counter these challenges, university administration, director of academics, deans and professors have to ensure engaging the students’ energy in proper direction. Otherwise, the university will fail to produce good students but they will not be able to produce good citizens.
Second, the Political turmoil in the country is a major barrier in the continuation of consistent policies in the education sector. The changing pattern of government in Pakistan affects our education system. The previous government introduced the policy of Single National Curriculum (SNC) which means ‘One Education System’ all over the country. But the government is unable to implement the SNC because the elite school system never wants to accept the policy of one curriculum. Sindh was the first province that rejected the SNC under the 18th amendment.
The changing pattern of government becomes a hurdle for our education system. According to UNDEP report, Balochistan has 70% and Ex-FATA has 57% drop-out ratio from schools. In parallel, the illiteracy rate increases because very few are enrolled. Illiteracy pushes Baloch and Pashtun youth towards radicalism and they end up either joining the extremist groups or are engaged in human trafficking, drug trafficking, smuggling, and other crimes. Such radical approach would not enhance human development and economic sustainability but would only act as barrier for human development projects. The local MNAs and MPAs ignore the problems of education system, because they are only concerned with their political legacy. Similarly, in Punjab and Sindh, poverty compels the teenage boys to be engaged in child labour in the agricultural land or they become street vendors in the metropolises. The students of Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza are victims of a poor school infrastructure, distant schools, teacher absenteeism and lack of parental support.
To sum up, the shadow of ignorance in Pakistan demands education emergency because of the looming economic crisis and tug of war between government and opposition that always ruins the lives of marginalized communities. Pakistan’s education system needs structural reforms to ensure the quality of the graduates. The government should give healthy funds to and latest content of syllabus with innovative ideas for the growth of the young generation. The HEC should promote research culture in the university campuses to enhance human abilities. In the fast-changing world underdeveloped nations are not able to join the race of competition without quality education and skilful labour. Pakistan should promote the quality of education and enhance human abilities via diverse skills, otherwise the consequences of illiteracy would prove to be lethal.
