Daily Times

Ever since independence of Pakistan in 1947, the problems faced by it have multiplied manifold. The governments, dictatorial and democratic, gave their own policies giving therein vent to their flawed manifestos. Let them get due credit of half-heartedly implementing such policies.

The area that must have been the focal point of rapt attention has remained neglected and its importance altogether underestimated. It is the education. The governments to this day including the one in power have not given due attention to education sector. There had been designed as many as nine national education policies since independence. And eight of them, having remained unimplemented, had miserably failed. The ninth one, long-standing precedent proclaims, will follow the suit.

Right to education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. Pakistan is also signatory to CRC and ICESCR whereby there has been given express recognition to the basic education as a fundamental right. After the eighteenth Constitutional Amendment, education has though become provincial subject, yet it does not minimise the responsibility of the State. With every passing moment and for every succeeding government, the responsibility to focus on education is increasing.

It is strange to note that Muslim Ummah in general and Pakistani society in particular, whose most modern religion, Islam starts with the expression “IQRA” meaning ”READ” seem to have forgotten the true message. Ibn-e-Khaldun, a Muslim philosopher once said, “Educational institutions need to be industries where human minds are manufactured”.

Nelson Mandela- a true leader- gave an all-encompassing definition of education by saying, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

If robust common and uniform education policy is formulated and implemented in letter and spirit at national and provincial levels in the light of roadmap, hinted to hereinabove, it will help create responsible, able and law abiding citizenry beneficial for individual, people and State

The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam M.A Jinnah could not attend the first Pakistan Education Conference in 1947 due to ailment. He wrote a letter to all the attendees and after wishing them luck, gave a road map. He recognised that under the British raj, no attention was paid to the education of the people. He recognised that speedy and substantial progress would only come ifquality education was imparted. And for that, a policy was required to be formulated and implemented. To achieve that end, Education policy and program needed to be designed which should be: i) consistent with the cultural values and history of our people; ii) in consonance with the scientific and technological developments taking place across the globe; and iii) inculcating a high sense of honour and integrity, dignity and responsibility in the recipients so that they could equip themselves with such potential and virtues to serve the nation and bring honour to Pakistan. The father of nation emphasised that there was a great need to focus on vocational and technical education.

This message is crystal clear. It means a robust policy for training of citizens which must entail not only capacity-building but character building as well, Taleem-o-Tarbiat. The guidelines have never been followed in the truest perspective. Our educational policies have failed time and time again. Less-repeat-less effort has been made towards this important socio-economic and political component of nation, namely, education. It must be understood, it is the vested interest of the class-in-power not to educate the people so that the masses may not be able to distinguish between right and wrong.

What needs to be done? Simply, follow what Quaid-i-Azam has said. Firstly, Provincial and Federal Governments need to establish Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Commissions with statutory mandate to: a) monitor the performance of private and public schooling systems; b) focus on quality control of education; c) design a common and uniform syllabus for all schools in Pakistan whether public or private; and d) arrange and implement training of the teachers as per modern methodologies recognised world-wide. Secondly, madrassa system needs to be brought to main stream so that besides imparting religious education as their primary objective, as religious education of high quality is equally necessary for a viable society, they must impart secondary and higher secondary educationwithin their madrassa campuses to their pupil enabling them to compete with other students at all levels. Thirdly, focus needs to be on vocational as well as technical education in Pakistan. Fourthly, governments must, in their annual budgets, earmark handsome amount for small loans enabling technicians to start their private business. It will help generate self-employment. Fifthly, there must be more focus on research and development incentivising research, innovation and creativity. Sixthly, education and teaching must be so designed as to ensure capacity-building of students to think critically and creatively. Seventhly, school and college campuses need to be equipped with all modern infrastructure which includes: libraries, laboratories, I.T facilities,etc. Eighthly, extra-curricular activities like debates, dramas, performing arts and sports must be integral part of education so that it must instil the sense of competitiveness in the students and those who excel must be granted stipends and scholarships for further grooming. It will help hunt real talent for competition at international level.

If robust common and uniform education policy is formulated and implemented in letter and spirit at national and provincial levels in the light of roadmap, hinted to hereinabove, it will help create responsible, able and law abiding citizenry beneficial for individual, people and State. It will further help strengthen the democracy. It will help bring good fame and name to the motherland in the world.

The writer is Islamabad-based lawyer and partner at UMR Practice