Back of the line

This letter refers to the article ‘Education and a pandemic’ (April 30, 2020) by Zubair Torwali. The writer succinctly describes that when a pandemic, conflict or natural disaster happens, education is the first service to be suspended and the last to be resumed. Our national history is replete with examples in where education is hardest hit by any crisis or political instability. However, there are various other reasons which are equally responsible for the abysmal condition of education in our country. Foremost is the low budgetary allocation for education under successive governments, indicating that it is a low priority for our politicians. In addition, unfortunately our educational institutions and religious seminaries have been exploited time and again for fulfilling ulterior motives and achieving short term goals especially during the Soviet War in Afghanistan. There is also a lack of awareness among the people regarding education, who tend to consider education as a business to get high degrees and lucrative postings.

In the wake of Covid-19 the government is diverting its resources to other sectors such as healthcare, industry and businesses to run the economy. All these factors are enough excuses for policy makers to push education to the back burner. Once again it is written on the wall that education is the first casualty of any conflict, war, or disasters and last in the queue to be considered.

Ghazi Khan

Peshawar