It is not the volume of books or number of years dedicated to schooling which matters to create a just society.
ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to Madiha Afzal’s piece “The education-militancy connotation” (August 4). Her article presents a very impressive analysis. It is not the volume of books or number of years dedicated to schooling which matters to create a just society. What matters more are the values we try to present before students. Vision for the future of society is what drives education and the interests that are dominant in determining the future exert more power.
In this context, the power structure of a society pushes for a certain type of curriculum. Liberal education is not possible without having the groups who support such education in power, and critical thinking cannot be encouraged in schools if dominant interests do not tolerate it. In addition, the poverty and education link is also very interesting and reminds me of what is called the ‘Pygmalion effect’ — the poor, or anyone for that matter, will return to you what you expect from them.
Zubair Faisal Abbasi
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2013.
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