Daily Times

Malcolm X once stated, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

The education system in Pakistan is in the throes of severe crisis. Numerous problems are resulting from the weakness in the education system in Pakistan, which have endangered the democracy and fate of the nation. There is a need to improve education in classrooms. This will not only strengthen democracy but also ensure social security.

There exist multiple problems within the Pakistani education system, which are essentially a product of poor funding, gender discrimination, rising costs, poor quality and lack of opportunities. These problems can be addressed by improving the education system as a whole to fight with the menace of social problems and strengthen democracy. The more the nation is aware, the stronger will be the democracy and more accountable will be the leaders.

Pakistan is indeed going through a lot of problems in the education sector. The most significant is the lack of funding. For example, the incumbent government reduced the budget for education by nearly 50 per cent. This lack of funding compromises the quality and impact of teaching in classrooms. Poor funding means few people have access to quality books and labs, etc. As a result, a country’s ability to progress is compromised.

Educational institutions are also plagued by a lack of integration between traditional and modern syllabi and the orthodox teaching method in certain institutions. This diversion polarises society and leads to differences amongst individuals who follow these syllabi. It provides quality education only to the rich who can afford the fee of modern syllabi. This leads to contrasting job opportunities, which further fuel resentment.

Severe gender imbalance also mars different education systems. Once again, Pakistan is a pertinent example where a majority of out-of-school children is girls. There exist several factors for this imbalance: cultural notions, gender discrimination, apprehensions and risks from fellow students and teachers. This gender imbalance, in turn, affects the development of families and societies.

The crisis of funding in education was best captured by the leading American politician, Bernie Sanders, who said, ”The cost of a college education today is so high that many young people are giving up their dream of going to college, while many others are graduating deeply in debt.” The same situation applies to third world countries, particularly Pakistan.

Weakness in the education system creates social polarisation and frustration among the nation

Another significant factor plaguing the education sector is radicalisation on campuses, which encourages lack of critical thinking, poor quality of teachers and the unavailability of jobs for students in universities. All of these are interlinked and once again point towards low funding, which gives birth to these problems.

Weakness in the education system creates social polarisation and frustration among the nation; snatching away the wisdom of thinking. On the other hand, democracy ensures the atmosphere for national integration; elevating the national dignity. When quality education is not in access to everyone in a society, a trust deficit rises among people, which weakens their ability to work cooperatively. A lack of opportunities further provokes resentment. This brings instability in a country, which weakens democracy.

People are now sceptic as to whether democracy is even suitable for a segregated nation like Pakistan. But there is only one way to save democracy, peace and justice and that is through education. As said by Benjamin Franklin, ”An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”.

Measures to improve the fate of nations include:

Informed Citizenry: A healthy democracy

Educated societies generally have stronger democratic norms and more accountable leaders. This is because voters are better able to assess the performance and ideas of their politicians. A more informed citizenry is, in fact, a necessary precursor to a healthy democracy, and only education ensures this.

Better Education; Better Social Security

Societies undergo immense changes through education. It creates pluralistic and more accepting societies, which bring stability and national cohesion. This ensures the democratic principle of national integration. The educated societies are less stricken by violence, by racism, and by xenophobia. They are therefore more inclusive and equitable.

In conclusion, it is as the American thinker Leo Buscaglia said, ”Change is the result of all true learning.”

The problems in the education system of Pakistan are a product of low funding, polarisation and high fee structure. It not only affects the citizens but also causes problems for the democratic process. The low literacy rate in Pakistan, which stands at 58 per cent, translates into the fact that people often do not know how to judge the capabilities of political leadership. Democratic norms are strongly correlated with education and a higher level of literacy leads to a more effective democratic system.

The writer is a student of journalism at NUML. He actively rises his voice against injustice, poverty, religious intolerance, child abuse and political circumstances through social media