Many a time we hear when faults and shortcomings of people in Pakistan are discussed that education is needed to put things right. It is because of missing education or bad education that many problems are created and hurdles cannot be overcome.

Though this is partly right but one has to give it a closer thought. One thought that comes to me is that we have been ruining education in this country. Why Zulfikar Ali Bhutto nationalized educational institutions in 70ies, and then on foreign pressure allowed missionary schools to remain in private management, this was the first blow to create two cultures and serious division in our youth, the future leaders. Nobody has objected to commercialization of education in 90ies when we have seen a sudden growth of franchised schools and colleges emerging in two room rented apartments and even professional universities imparting professional degrees in Medicine, Engineering and Business Management by charging hefty fees from the parents who are only interested in child bringing a paper degree that is generating better marriage proposals and more and more unemployed graduates. Would any such education be helpful to solve our social and economic problems? What education do we need then? Is this not a fact that Western countries recognized our professional degrees including Medicine and Engineering then what has gone wrong now?

One problem consists in understanding what education actually is? Most of the time now, we have mistaken education for a method of transferring certain facts and knowledge to the students only by neglecting to develop his or her personality. But in today’s age of internet it is true a sea of knowledge is available on internet and students can access to facts and figures quite easily and relevant portions are easily copied and pasted by many students who do not want to study course books seriously, then we see these graduates are not accepted for jobs.

Thus, while in primary school still transfer of factual knowledge might be important later it is rather how to handle, understand and interpret certain information what is more important. To achieve that open mindedness, discussion and questioning is the right method rather than old quest for learning and studing at nights under the lamp post. And in both phases of education not only knowledge and skills but ethics are a most important part of education. Any education that does not make the student a better human being is basically useless.

Thus education is a major factor in nation building also. For that educational concepts and teaching plans have to be developed carefully and nation-wide. There should be no difference in education between different provinces, between urban and rural places or between wealthy and poor neighborhoods. Only equal treatment of the young generation can bring them closer together and can contribute to the overcoming of economic, social and other disparities among the population.

That is why not only equal education has to be imparted to all but equal access to education has to be ensured by the state. To revamp our educational system Danish schools in Punjab is a very good idea we can adopt it at national level and establish one school for girls and one for boys at each district headquarter in the first phase by doing so we can develop a much needed youth to take responsibility of tomorrow.

Education up to class 12 should be a state responsibility side by side technical education and training institutions are also needed. The state and its representative institutions have to make sure that quality education is available to all children everywhere in the country. Given the high poverty rate schooling should be free and compulsory for all upto class 12 at least.
That also means that educational institutions in that range have to be run and financed by the government.

The division of schooling into private schools with high fees and free but low quality education in government schools for those who cannot afford to pay is fatal for the national fabric of Pakistan and it is a national wastage of talents among children from poor families who will lose the chance to fully develop their capacities.

While private schooling might be allowed in certain specialized fields of higher education with the condition that such schools keep 20% reserved seats for students who cannot afford to pay as special students selected on merit, when basic schooling until class 12 and good quality higher education in public universities all over Pakistan is a basic demand for the future of Pakistan.
Given the fact that ethics and values are an essential part of education the Islamic republic of Pakistan can not afford to use foreign/Western teaching plans or textbooks in our country to make sure that the right values are taught to our children. In this regard, much damage has been done so far: while in western school types western culture and values have been taught and thus have created a westernized elite Urdu schools have played a role in teaching a type of Pseudo-Islam that has contributed to the development of militancy in the minds of young Pakistanis.

That is why special attention has to be given not only to develop a national curricula but it has to be monitored as to what Islamic interpretation is taught in school so as to avoid more strife instead of creating national harmony, keeping in mind also that all values and ethics are based on religion.

In order to achieve this not only home-made textbooks and teaching plans are necessary but well educated teachers are a first priority.

They need not only know the subject that they teach but need to have a firm grounding in teaching methodology, psychology and ethics themselves. Only honest, highly dedicated teacher can help our children to become useful members of Pakistani society, good Muslims and human beings.

For that a thorough teacher education with attractive service structure has to be developed. No teacher without degree for the appropriate level of schooling, experience and the subject of specialization should be allowed inside a school.

This is of course a program that costs money and that is not achieved in a short time. What has been neglected and allowed to decay during the last 65 years cannot be put right in two to three years it needs few decades of dedicated work of thousands of people. Money is important and it has to be public money made available on priority. Education is too crucial than to be allowed to be made a salable good and the source of money making. Salaries for teachers and educationists have to be attractive but public esteem for them is also an important good.

Creating a unified and public educational system in Pakistan will overcome social and regional divide, effectively battle militancy and create a unified national fabric for our young generation. Corruption will be gone by itself when self esteem of every member of society stands to realize responsibility.
Then our people will break the begging bowl and work to develop national industrial infra-structure through our own resources which have not been tapped by our corrupt rulers who just looked towards West to perpetuate in power by breaking the back of the people. God bless Pakistan.

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