It is essential to provide basic education to the 50 per cent illiterate population of Pakistan.
CAMBRIDGE, UK: This is with reference to Javaid R Laghari’s letter of May 6 “Laptops are the answer”. Laptops alone cannot revolutionise the system of education in Pakistan. The countries the writer has given examples of already have sound education systems and high literacy rates. That is why they can go about distributing technology, knowing that it will go in constructive hands.
It is, therefore, essential to upgrade our examination system first, and more importantly, provide basic education to the 50 per cent illiterate population of Pakistan. Our university laboratories need to be transformed and updated with the latest scientific equipment. Once these efforts have been made, only then is it wise to distribute laptops, knowing that only the educated youth will get their hands on them and put them to good use and actually listen to the TEDx talks, or the Khan Academy lectures for a change.
Isha Fahad
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2012.
