These are
the most dominant issues and problems of our Education System which needs to be
addressed and to find remedial solutions for these issues and put forward
recommendations for the positive change in our prevalent Education System.
1- Lack of uniformity
The Education System is not Uniform and is based on
differentiated Education System like Public Institutions, Private Institutions
and Deeni Madaris. There has been accelerated polarization in the Education
System due to divisive Pakistani Education System. This has penetrated into
cultural veins of the Nation. The recent waves of Sectarianism and Terrorism
are the consequences of this divisible system. Polarized Education System has
further divided society on political, economic and social grounds instead of
uniting people. This division is leading towards further segregation on
linguistic and religious levels and cutting knee deep the ideological
foundation of the Nation.
2- Education without
direction
A sound Education System is essential for every nation of the
world. All nations develop their people or human resources on the basis of
rigorous focus on Education and Training. We have
poor and direction less education system with lack of cohesion and more prone
towards general education without creation of Skillful man power resulting into
massive unemployment. It also results into massive political, social, economic
and cultural distress among people. There is no use of science and technology
in the education system. Students are unable to develop critical thinking,
creativity, imagination, reasoning, experimentation, innovation and invention
3- Outdated curriculum
We are still following the old fashioned and outdated Education
System of rote memorization, cramming the facts and figures without realizing
the holistic development of individuals. The objective of Education should be
development of psychological, philosophical and sociological foundations of
Education. The present curriculum is not motivating learners for practical
research and development, scientific knowledge and reflective observation.
4- Lack of professional
development of teachers
There are few training institutes but have lack of funds, lack
of resourceful and trained trainers and administers. There are no defined
standards of training and development. The courses and trainings are outdated,
traditional without exposure to modern technology, motivation, quality of
teachers and enhancement of skills.
5- Lack of quality teacher
According to UNESCO report, the quality of educational
institutions and teacher is low. The situation is grimmer in remote parts of
Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan where there is non availability of teachers.
Teachers are not using new methods of teaching and learning, no lesson
planning, old method of cramming, no research, no use of libraries or internet,
no book reading. Students are promoted to next class on the basis of cramming
and memorization of facts and figures without knowledge in depth, no
conceptualization, no understanding of topics in the books without relevance in
schools.
6- Alarming dropouts
Lack of management and discipline in schools leads many students
to drop out from school. This trend is due to punishment in schools, poor
parenting, lack of motivation, unattractive school environment, child labor
& poverty are also very significant reasons of huge drop out from schools,
colleges and universities. It shows that almost 30% of children enrolled in
primary education. This trend has added to low literacy rate in
Pakistan.
7- Examination system
Students are evaluated on the basis of annual exams, semester
wise assessments. Both quantitative and qualitative exams should be introduced
to judge the performance of students on comprehensive level and exams should
evaluate the student’s ability through various types of reliable assessments
like case studies, research papers, MCQs, Comprehensive subjective questions,
Analytical questions to check the conceptual understanding of students
especially in higher classes (Rehman, 2011).
In Pakistan examination system is faulty and it tests only the
memory of students, there is use of unfair means, bribery, cheating, issuance
of duplicate marks sheets, changes of marks, change of answer sheets,
impersonation. This present examination system has promoted rote memorization
and cramming. It has badly failed in producing critical thinking, analytical
skills, learning, intellectual power and visionary reflection in the students
at all levels of education. It does not measure the strength, achievements and
performance of students (Quereshi, 1975).
Modular system of examination in Medical Universities is
producing incompetent students with insufficient knowledge of Anatomy which is
the backbone of medicine studies. In modular system a single paper for three
subjects is given to students. Students prepare easy subjects to pass the exam
and leave the difficult and important subject of Anatomy for choice. Therefore,
this method has tarnished the strong foundations of learning and performing badly.
Doctors produced with such type of examination with lack of proper
understanding of subject will not be able to serve the humanity honestly and do
the justice with their profession.
In our education system educational institutions are used as
breeding grounds for political parties and in colleges and universities these
groups nurture. Students get benefits by being part of any political party
during exams. A list of students is provided to the teacher by the student
leader to pass them in the exam, admissions are given on the party basis, exams
are marked and checked on party basis because mostly teachers are also working
for parties while sitting in educational institutions. During Board or
University exam by giving money to the invigilator, students are allowed to
cheat in the exam, Students throw question paper outside the window and one of
the party rep climbs up the tree near the window with Megaphone and starts
dictating answers by calling up question numbers. Honest Teachers are
threatened and sometimes gunned and killed in case they are not willing to
listen to the unfair demands of the students of different parties.
Some of the teachers are also involved in malpractices. They
leak the paper by charging handsome amounts or solve the papers for students or
allow students to solve the papers by cheating from books, material or from
some good student. In board exams, before submission of sheets to the board
office representative student is asked to write down correct answers. Teachers
are themselves involved in such political activities and award “F” grade to
students who are not in their party.
In Russia there is no exam system like ours. Students study
through out the year and at the end of year teacher can ask any question from
the book to pass the candidate and check his understanding & knowledge of
the subject.
8- Poor supervision
standards
To monitor teaching and learning, poor and harsh standards of
evaluation and punishment are used which in some case leads to termination of jobs. At
primary school level teacher’s evaluation is not possible. Secondary
Schools/Cambridge Schools are evaluated through Board exam results/CAIE
results. In college, again Board or University exam results are the criteria to
judge the academic performance of Student and Teacher’s teaching. Whereas,
actually there is an increase in tuitions instead of relying on School or
College teaching. Students and their parents are compelled to go for tuitions due
pressure of good grades and admissions in good educational institutions. There
are many tuition centres, coaching centres, academies where the same teachers
who were unable to impart quality education give quality tuitions by charging
heavy amounts and prepare students well to score good grades. The low salaries
demotivate them in their institutions to impart good education. In Universities
students are given power to evaluate teaching and their grading becomes part of
an Annual Evaluation Report which is essential for promotion or benefit of the
faculty. This system is again polluted by involvement of computer department
staff, Student coordinators and by bribing students to give bad remarks about
any teacher. Some insincere and corrupt teachers mark students’ attendance and
give them good marks, tell them questions of exams and do immoral activities to
get good evaluation from students. Teachers who are honest and hard working are
ranked low by students. Even at higher education institutions there is lobbying
and politics through which false evaluation against any faculty can be prepared
to get rid of the unwanted faculty by the management. So, in short, supervision
system is more prone to harassment and control over the teaching staff rather
than providing proper guideline and training for the improvement of teaching
methodologies & strategies. (Rehman, 2011).
9- Internal and external
influence
In Education sector external factors are coming outside the
system through politicians and they bring changes in the system to give favor
to their families, relatives, friends etc. Internal factors are bureaucratic
manipulations (Mazhar, 2011).
There is great favoritism and Nepotism in cases of transfers,
Appointments, Promotions, Salaries, Grades & Work Stations. Due to this the
basic Infrastructure of the Education System in Pakistan has been badly
affected (LOUIS, 1987).
10- Lack of
resources
There are not proper Libraries with physical space for Students
to Study. Books are not available, No digital libraries, no computer Facility
in the library especially in public sector colleges & universities. No
proper lighting, no AC, no Generators in case of power break down are available
to make studies more comfortable for the desirous and ambitious students. Class
rooms are over-crowded, corridors are flooded with students, Inadequate and
Inefficient teachers, Laboratories without required apparatus & equipment
of practical learning have resulted into a situation of despair and low
standard of Education (Louis, 1987).
11- Lack of policy
implementation
Frequent political turmoil and change of governments have made
policy implementation in its true letter and spirit impossible. Corruption,
Lack of Resources, Lack of teacher’s involvement in policies and inconsistency
in successive planning on the part of various political regimes in Pakistan.
Teachers are ignored while designing Education policies which has led to
alienation between teachers and the system of Education (Zaki, 1989).
12- Low budgetary
allocation for education
Education system in Pakistan has been crippled mainly due
allocation of scarce financial resources in budget. The Education Budget which
is definitely not sufficient to fulfill the growing needs of population and
involvement of modern technology in
the education system, low salaries, high taxation are also hindering the growth
of this sector. Taxes are even imposed on the hourly payment of visiting
faculty at the rate of ten percent from filers and twenty percent from
non-filers which is really unjustified and reduces the meagre earning.
In many countries like Bangladesh & Sri Lanka the Education
share in total budget of the country is increasing but in Pakistan it is
continuously declining (Sayan, 2012).
13- Corruption
Corruption is another factor responsible for deterioration of
the Education System, use of unfair means, nepotism, favors in transfer,
promotion and appointments and decision making, misuse of funds, use of illegal
authority by the school management, Gender based exploitation and harassment
are the subsidiaries of corruption.
14- Lack of faculty
training and development
Educational institutions do not spend available funds on the
training and development of teachers. They are neither sent to attend the
workshops, courses, seminars or conferences to groom themselves and learn the
modern techniques and methodologies of teaching. Here again only few favorite
teachers are selected for these trainings and most of the teachers remain
deprived of any opportunity to groom their teaching skills.
15- Non- availability of
public transport/ parking/traffic congestion
Most of the private schools are located in residential areas
usually in bungalows to avoid taxes. Here the big issue is non-availability of
public transport, parking and traffic congestion on daily basis. This makes
both students and teachers tired and stressed because of wastage of lots of
time of travelling to and from school to home. This unnecessary delay in
timings also affects the quality of education. Mostly schools do not provide
their conveyance to students, teachers and staff but ask them to avail
transport of the companies with which the senior management set commission.
Impressive
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