Zweifellos ist Bildung der Grundpfeiler der Demokratie und einer modernen Gesellschaft. So hat die Entwicklung des Bildungs- und des Gesundheitssektor auch für Pakistan hohe Priorität, um das Leben der Bürgerinnen und Bürger zu verbessern.
Push for education reforms
There is little doubt that education forms the cornerstone of democracy and
modern society. Pakistan is finally prioritizing development of education and
health sectors to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.
Progress on the
Prime Minister's Educational Reforms Program is out there for everyone to see —
the country's first-ever public Montessori sections are now open, while more
than 400 public schools and colleges are also planned to be upgraded. These are
indeed laudable steps and would certainly benefit the country’s youth. However,
the woes of Pakistan's education system are much more deep-rooted and
multi-dimensional.
The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees education as a
fundamental human right, but the ground realities present a bleak picture.
Almost half of Pakistan's 53 million children in the 5-16 age bracket, are not
attending school. Alarmingly, 55 percent of these out-of-school children are
girls.
Poverty, difficult access to schools and a conservative cultural
mindset are the main reasons behind these sorry figures. For any education
reforms to be successful, there is a dire need to take a more holistic and
methodical approach as the country’s education system is characterized by
inadequate access and quality, shabby infrastructure and unequal
opportunities.
The reform agenda should have clear focus areas including
resource commitment, curriculum, human resource training and infrastructure
development. It is crucial that the government works closely with public and
private stakeholders to address these interlinked focus areas for sustainable
results in education reform.
While improving access to education is
important, the education sector needs to be effective in preparing students for
life and equip them with employable skills so that they can make a healthy
contribution toward national development. Initiatives for teacher training and
curriculum reforms are central to overhaul the education system in
Pakistan.
Unfortunately, the education sector also faces the curse of
political appointments and untrained teachers. Reform initiatives should focus
on inducting teachers purely on merit, monitoring their performance and training
them to teach a well-drafted curriculum that encourages critical
thinking.
The government needs to strike a fine balance in resource
allocation for primary education and vocational training to inject the labor
market with skilled workers. The quality of education imparted in public
schools, largely attended by children from low-income households, needs to
drastically improve if these students are to compete with their counterparts
from expensive private schools.
This points out to the need for
establishing a transparent and accountable governance system that is free from
political influence and keeps the quality in check. The role of decentralized
local governments and community support cannot be underestimated in the
education reform process.
Reform efforts must focus on creating awareness
in the society that education is the key to a brighter future. Another report
highlights the poor performance of elected representatives in promoting
education in their constituencies.
For meaningful and sustained sectoral
reforms, the government must fulfill its promise of spending at least four
percent of GDP on education based on the set priorities with transparency and
buy-in from all stakeholders. Education reforms should not be about cosmetic
changes only; given the urgency of these much delayed reforms, it is now or
never for Pakistan.