Lop-sided equality

education

"If we are to make any real, speedy, substantial progress, we must bring our educational policy and program on the lines suited to the genius of our people consonant with our own history and culture and having regard to the modern conditions and vast developments that have taken place all over the world… what we have to do is mobilise our people and build up the character of our future generation which means highest sense of honour, integrity, selfless service to the nation and sense of responsibility. We have to see that they are fully qualified or equipped to play their part in the various branches of economic life in a manner which will do honour to Pakistan." - Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

The lines spoken by the Quaid give a far-reaching insight into the reason and causes behind creating a progressive society. Since independence, many educational policies have been implemented. Despite the reforms, the state fails to provide free and quality education to all. What are the reasons?

The biggest reason is perhaps the fact that Pakistan is a polarised society. There have been divisions at every level - religious, political, economic and social. More divisions took root during Zia-ul-Haq’s era. With the fervour of Islamisation combined with the surging private schools, the class system was endorsed.

The single national curriculum introduced by the incumbent government of Imran Khan is no doubt a noble cause to remedy the class hierarchy, but its sustainability is questionable. It is definitely a step forward but it cannot be implemented overnight. On the face of it, the SNC is a fantastic concept, but there are many hurdles. The provision of teacher resource material and practice textbooks are a big void that needs to be filled.

Another question is, will the SNC provide equal opportunity for all? The question of equality can be seen through the example of a child with mental and physical impediments in the rural area and a boy of a rich family studying in Aitchison College? Are they equal at any level? The reader needs to ponder over the question.

Another concern is whether the SNC with the slogan of ‘One Nation, One Curriculum’, promoting uniformity? Is it not opposed to diversity? Is it not taking away its pluralism? Pakistan has four provinces, all with different cultures, traditions, language and literature. And what about the large Urdu-speaking population, mainly in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and other parts of Pakistan? Are we not eliminating our identity through the SNC?

Coming to the curriculum, is it an issue or not. The logical answer is that it is not! What is important is how you deliver the concepts. And for that the need of the hour is to introduce teacher training workshops, assessment learning outcomes and good educational books.

Looking in retrospect, the 18th Amendment in which the political system was decentralised and the provinces were given power to decide their own matters and each province made its own educational policy is a major factor obstructing the way forward to an integrated national curriculum. The decision-making power must rest with the federal government. With so much diversity in language and culture, it is not possible to achieve a uniform education system across the country.

Another major hurdle is how to provide the money to bring about this massive change since Pakistan allocates only 2 per cent of its GDP to education. Looking at a few examples of successful persons such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, brings to light an important question. How did they become so successful? Did it happen overnight? Were they solely responsible for their accomplishments or did the state provide them with the resources to achieve such a pinnacle of success?

The primary reason behind it was the inclusive education system that their country, the USA, gave them. And they made the most out of it. They are big technological giants of the time.

Coming back to Pakistan and the new educational reform, in the long term, yes, it is viable. But for that to happen, the 18th Amendment must be redefined. A council of common interests should be set up to solve the provincial problems through common dialogue.

Addressing the question of textbooks designed for grades 1, 2 and 3 by the Punjab Text Board, Taimur Rehman, a teacher of political science at LUMS, says they are very text heavy. With no proper gradation in the levels, they are also lacking in exercises which help the students stimulate their brain and the teacher is only successful when the child is curious to find out for him/herself.

Books cannot achieve the desired pedagogical impact.

Pervaiz Hoodbhoy, a renowned scholar, has commented on the law that clearing the Quran test is a prerequisite for awarding a higher education degree such as Masters, M.Phil. or PhD and in his opinion this will surely turn the schools into madrassas and the hope to walk with the modern world will be lost.

To mix two different things, two different ideologies, that of religious education preparing you for the hereafter and the education to cope with the world is surely going to lead to disaster.

The real question is will the SNC be able to bridge the gap for a child who started with an unequal opportunity in the first place? Pakistan has unmet educational needs and unmet population needs. Will it be able to come out of this crisis through the SNC? What if the government changes in the next election and the new government reverts Imran Khan’s decision? What will the people do then?

Allama Iqbal said: Ek Hi Saf Mein Kharay Ho Gaye Mahmood-o-Ayaz, Na Koi Banda Raha Aur Na Koi Banda Nawaz.

The verse beautifully sums up the rationale of how religious equality is not a prerequisite for equality in the world. Hence, the question of the SNC being triumphant in the long run.

The writer has a double Masters in English Literature with experience in magazine journalism. She has a passion for reading South Asian fiction and about environmental issues. She can be reached at beenishmhmd@gmail.com.

This article was originally published in 2021 issue of SouthAsia Magazine.