Introduction
In different reports the ministry of education claimed that literacy in Pakistan
is over 50%, but open sources disagree with it and they say that it merely 35%.
During the year 2003-04 the literacy rate is placed at 54 %( male 66%;female
42%). (The development of education in Pakistan National report of MoE, July
2004). The literacy rate claimed includes the people who can only write their
name or they can read newspaper or simple sign boards/advertising boards.
Different steps are taken to improve this situation but situation seems to
improve very little. The U.N. Development Programs 2004 Human Development Report
assigns Pakistan. The lowest “education index” of any country form outside
Africa. (W.B., Report, September 2004).
The current situation remains as dismal as ever: Pakistan spent 2.06% of its GDP
on education in 2000-1(world standards are 5%) – (Pakistan’s primary education
system ranks among the world’s least effective …… Pakistan is one of only 12
world countries that spend less than 2% of its GNP on education….Pakistan’s
adult literacy rate is about 40% and is much lower among females (CRS Report for
Congress Education Reform in Pakistan December 23, 2004),the lowest in over a
decade, and allocated 2.3% for 2001-2002 (the same as in 1997-98). The Pakistan
Economic Survey 2000-2001 somberly observed that “one of the factors in the slow
improvement in the education indicators has been the low level of public
expenditure on education” and hence “the declining trend in the financial
allocations (as a % of GDP) to the education sector is a major cause of
concern”. Pakistan has abysmal history of implementation of education policies;
there is a need for an outcry by all concerned individuals at the appalling
record of military and democratic governments in the field of education.
Main Problem
The main problem is that we have to make two important changes we need,
(i) Teachers Not Cheaters
(ii) Leaders Not Dealers
Teachers Not Cheaters
You can see that there is no difference between spelling of teachers and
cheaters. In our society there are more cheaters than teachers. Every one want
to deceive other .He who has knowledge don’t give its knowledge to others.
Irrespective of the fact that if you provide knowledge to others it increases.
We have great teachers with big degrees form national and foreign universities
but they don’t want to convey their knowledge or experience to other’s .The
students also understands it sometimes they also protests but they have no other
choice.
Especially we have cheaters in our private sector they (at junior level) are
just matriculate or third divisioners who don’t know how to teach but they are
going on with this. The owner’s of the institution know the situation but they
seek their benefit in it as they have to pay a little to them.
If you go to examination hall you will be astonished to see that there will be
many teachers who will be there only to pass illegal material to the
students(from outside the hall). Also in some institutions the owner’s of the
institution encourage the teachers who helps their students getting good marks
.in some institution owners hire these types of teachers who are considered
experts in these kind of activities.
The students run after tuitions/tutors immediately after school time. Because
they feel and some time their parents are not satisfied with the teaching at
school. That shows lank of transmission of knowledge at school. In tutors we
have three types of tutors;
(i) Professional tutors: - They are in fact tutors they work hard and transfer
their knowledge to their students. Some time they belong to a college and some
time they are full time tutors
(ii) Formula tutors: - They are tutors who have some formulas to pass the exam
with relatively good marks. Their demand is very high because most of our
students want to clear the exam what ever the marks/division they have.
(iii) School tutors: - They are in fact the teachers of that school in which the
student is studying. The student goes to these types of tutors just to get some
help in the exam .these type of tutors prepare the student according to the
paper.
Many of our teachers are not honest to their work because they think they are
under paid .as they have less pay they do less work. I think this is their fault
if they are not satisfied with their pay they can leave and find another job. If
they accept this situation then it is their obligation to work properly.
Leaders Not Dealers
Now I want to start with almost the same lines as I used in the previous start.
You can see that there is no difference between spelling of leaders and dealers.
In our society there are more dealers than leaders.
The fact is that it happens in all areas of life and we know that but we can not
do any thing. From education to highest level politics we have lack of leaders
and abundance of dealers. These dealers are not afraid or ashamed of dealing in
and selling any thing. They just want their profit no matter how and from where
it comes. Even they don’t care how much it costs others.
I want to talk about the leadership in education sector. We have no leadership
whatsoever in education sector. You can see the situation of budget allocation
for education. Every year the sizes of education budget decreases despite of
increasing population.we have only one person who increased the budget for
education dramatically.
General Pervaiz Musharraf was the only leader who increased the budget for
education (I am not a political person and also not a fan of Musharraf).I think
that he is the only person who facilitate the education sector, in his reign
almost hundred universities got charter. He worked hard, and fortunately he got
a good team, for the betterment of the situation of higher education in the
country.
On the other side we have dealers who try to amass wealth by entering the
education sector. They have opened schools, colleges and also universities. This
is not the end they have their printing press also and they are printing the
books for their own institutions to get as much as possible from this sector and
also as quickly as possible.
Our dealer type leaders are compelling students to use guides to get good marks
also some teachers suggest that this is a good guide and that is not the good
one. I am also a teacher but I have never asked any of my students to use a
guide rather I discourage them. Some teachers encourage cramming to get good
result and ignore the future of the students.
Many of our leaders don’t care about the situation of the education system
rather they try to destroy it as their wards are studying abroad. They in
reality think that the people have no right to get any kind of education (in
fact they think that people have no right whatsoever.)
We have also leaders who are dealers of fake degrees (I don’t know why people
elect and then reelect them through their vote).________________