Education
Education is the key to a productive lifestyle. It is knowledge in basic skills,
academics, technical disciplines and citizenship, a way of leading better lives.
It is the act of collecting, understanding and processing knowledge. Quality education
motivates, inspires and encourages progress in all walks of life. It is not just
a social process, it is growth.
Formal education, which is mainstream or traditional education, is the only kind
found in Pakistan, the three remaining kinds are virtually non-existent. However,
the travesty that passes for education is categorized into four kinds;
• Elite private institutions that cater to the upper class
• Government-run schools that serve the lower middle class
• Madrasahs imparting religious education free of cost
• Retail education which is imparted from single rooms, verandahs, garages, apartments,
etc
The government of Pakistan has made a total mockery of the system of education,
over the decade, substantial cuts in the allocated budget has reduced the literacy
rate in Pakistan to less then 20% . Ghost schools, ghost teachers and dearth of
educational reforms have impeded our progress as a nation. There is an abysmal breach
in not the just living conditions of the poor and the rich but even in the quality
of education imparted. Lack of education has made people difficult to lead and impossible
to govern.
The malignant degeneration of personal virtue among the Pakistani society is another
pressing issue. Educating a person in mind and not in morals is letting loose a
menace in society. Government schools have long since shelved their original roles
in character building and morality. The leadership needs to restore ethics, moral
values and the virtues of truth, justice, patriotism, self-esteem, integrity and
empathy to the central focus in public schooling. Agendas should be formulated for
reintroducing morality in public school curriculum, so the future citizens may comprehend
the rights, duties and dignity of man at an early stage. The morality of a society
can never be improved if it is not inculcated in the systems of their youth.
There is a desperate need for educational reforms and a successful education policy,
which would ultimately lead to;
• A skilled work force
• Minimal dependence on foreign workers
• Higher employment rate
• Better standard of living
• Society based on moral values
With the lowest literacy rate in South Asia, only proper and substantial funding
can salvage the educational sector of Pakistan. An impartial educational system
working towards developing educated consciences and imparting skills, operating
on the fundamentals of justice and equal opportunity for all, forms the premise
of progress in every society. On it rests the cornerstones of democracy, freedom
and a sustainable future.
Democratic bodies of a country, moral values, exposition of equal opportunities
and ultimately the economy all depend upon education. Higher rate of literacy creates
jobs and opens doors. A person rewarded justly for his hard work is encouraged to
reach for the stars. Individuals working diligently to reach higher goals in a society,
spell progress for a nation. High and quality education calls, not just for a vision
but also for proper and timely funding. Knowledge, austerity and willingness is
required to bring about this revolutionary change and see it through.