Transformation of Education System of Pakistan need of time, stressed by Experts/Educationists during the Online Roundtables on Education organized by PIDE Islamabad

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Pakistan Institute of Development Economic took a great step and organized 5-Day virtual roundtables on Education in Pakistan from 19-23 August 2020. The series addressed the following topics/titles:

1. The Education Paradigm in Pakistan, what is it? what should it be?
2. Role of Government in Education
3. Public Private Partnership in Education
4. Is Technology the panacea and are we using it?
5. The National Unified Curriculum, what? Why?

Federal Minister for National Education and Training H.E. Mr. Shafqat Mehmood attended as Chief Guest of last webinar held on 23 August 2020. More than 10 renowned education experts of Pakistan also took part in the series which included; Ms. Quratulain Bakhteari, Ms. Neelam Hussain, Ms. Shehnaz Wazir Ali, Dr. Faisal Bari, Dr. Shahid Hafiz Kardar, Mrs. Nazish Attaullah.

In his speech, H.E. Mr. Mehmood said that nothing is more important than education for a civilized and developed society.  He further said that the present government is taking some significant steps for education. During the current situation of COVID-19, the government launched online and tele-schools on urgent basis to provide education to the students in their homes, informed the Minister. H.E. the Minister accepted that there are lot of issues for quality education such as quality content, infrastructure, well trained faculty/HR, easy access to the required things. H.E. Mr. Mehmood stressed that the basic education from class 1-5 should be in mother language/local language, thus, English should only be taught as language rather than subject. In this context, the Government has been working on unified curriculum in consultation with education experts, provinces and other stakeholders. The unified curriculum is almost ready and will be taught in schools next year tentatively from April 2021. He further said that there is huge gulf that separate communities in the country and same is evident in education sector. Madarasah reforms have also been carried out to make them join in mainstream decrease the gulf. He assured the full support of the Government for quality education.

Dr. Nadeem ul Haq, Vice Chancellor of PIDE moderated the sessions and thanked the experts and the participants for showing their love and keen interest for education in Pakistan. In his presentation, Dr. Haq said that a lot of educational policies were made in the past but no improvement in the education system seen as per international standards so he invited the participants to discuss and highlight the causes.

Mrs. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, renowned educationist of Pakistan said that the reforms in education, was always a challenge in Pakistan. She further said that the education should be localized and quality content be provided. Federal Govt. has centralized everything and that is the death of any learning, added Dr. Shahnaz.

Dr. Quratulain Bakhtiyari from Balochistan said that the education system should be based on equality wherein human being should be a center point and be taught to create knowledge.

Dr. Neelam Hussain said that form of learning should be to inculcate in child the curiosity, creativity, sense of wonder which can develop creative potential and make it adventurous for children. She added that children demand mother tongue learning.

President ECOSF Prof. Manzoor H. Soomro also attended the roundtables and emphasized on blended education (combination of new technologies and face-to-face methods) in Pakistan because the prevailing system cannot digest the technologies; thus slow and steady the system can be upgraded and updated.                             

During the discussions, following issues and recommendation surfaced:

• Issues:
  • Different school systems (public and private sector)
  • People prefer to send their children in private sector due to substandard education system of public sector
  • One of the highest illiteracy rate in the world and second largest out of school population (more than 25 million)
  • If the basis of education is not strong, how the top of the pyramid can be strong??
  • The highest spending on education was made in 1987-88 after that it was stagnant for 20 years which needs enhancement.
  • Parents never been engaged in policy making.
  • New technologies are not adopted as required.
  • What is the fundamental preset the state follows?
  • Individual differences are not addressed.
  • Private schooling will overcome the public sector in 2025.
  • Quality and teacher training huge issues.
  • Lack of resources/infrastructure.
  • Rural and Urban divide
  • Vast difference between the way the education system approaches to whole process of learning.

• Recommendations:
  • Teachers’ training is one of the pivotal points in quality education.
  • System can be changed but cannot be eliminated.
  • Motivation of child towards study is required.
  • Updated curriculum/content aligned with the world.
  • The child being the center of experience learning is not the system of learning is doing.
  • Need of inquiry oriented and experience learning.
  • Opportunity should be created to individually pressed growth
  • Relevance of the curriculum material
  • Enrichment of the class room
  • Reaching out the common elements of the child environment
  • Child mostly learns in mother language, thus, basic education be taught in mother/local language.
  • Paradigm change in education meeting all necessary and updated requirements.
  • Increase of education budget should be 7% of GDP to go with international communities.
  • Schools should be managed by the district governments. Federal and provincial governments should finance only.
  • Innovative institutes and ideas are needed for change in the education.
  • Merit based energetic and enthusiastic persons should be appointed as teachers/educators.
  • The role of government is to catalyze the technology, adopted by the educational institutes.
  • Only 1 million students are digitally enabled in Pakistan, it needs to be increased.
  • Digital Infrastructure required
  • Blended education stressed
  • The technology should be used to reach out of school children.
  • Learning and creative approaches needed
  • Through technology, huge participation can be invited for training