Moalims

Saturday, July 18, 2015 - Education is considered as a powerful drive of development and strongest instrument for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace and stability. In other words educational is considered as functional and key to success as well as nation’s development by enhancing efficiency and productivity focusing on human capital.
The Constitution of Pakistan (1973) professed that “the state of Pakistan shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period”. But due to lack of funding and attention, the standard of public schools could not be maintained effectively. Continuously falling standard and quality as well as shortage of public schools created a huge gap in education. To fill this gap the government introduced a series of elite English medium institutions, army administered Cadet Colleges and Christian convent schools all over the country to serve a special class of the population.
The National Education Policy 2009, has encouraged privatization in the education sector. The government also supported existence of private sector in education system as a source of promotion of literacy and quality education. But private sector blurred the believe of people and government of Pakistan that access and equity in education are essential factors in the promotion of quality education, literacy rate, contributing to growing economy, producing job opportunities and alleviating poverty. Because in true sense, the elite English medium schools and colleges did not fill gaps which are created by public sector but promoting inequalities and sense of marginalisation in today’s society.
This shows that the education system of Pakistan is divided on the lines of the socio-economic status of the people. The unequal distribution of wealth in the country gives less chance to the people from poor families to get private education because the cost is too high .That is why education is not functional as everyone sees it but it is the cause of stratification and reproduction of inequalities in society by limiting other recipients to access education while benefiting others. The Division between the rich and the poor (private and public) is so great that it contradicts the concept of the welfare state promised by the first Governor General of Pakistan for this country. This distinction and inequality creates a sense of frustration among children that leads to anti-social activities and the structure of society will be disorganized. The government should take steps to improve the education system. Progress can only be guaranteed if equal opportunities and facilities are offered in education to common man. A policy is needed which brings with it a high quality education for all rather than excellence for few.

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