Opposing devolution of education and health

The federal ministers for education and health seem unhappy with the devolution of their ministries to the provinces.

The federal ministers for education and health, both old PPP hands, seem unhappy with the devolution of their ministries to the provinces under the 18^th Amendment. Disturbing a hard-won consensus, for which their party claims due credit, and talking about a 20^th Amendment would require more than special pleading. Our social and economic malaise is rooted deep in a multiplicity of factors, but the neglect of human development stands out. The present state of society truly reflects the deteriorating state of its human capital, particularly in terms of education and health. Spending on the two sectors together is no more than two per cent of GDP.

In federations, these two subjects usually lie in the domain of the constituent units. Pakistan has been among the rare cases where the federal government has been fathering education and health policies. The results are before everyone to see. On the three indicators related to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on education, Pakistan lags behind many countries. As for health, it is behind on all five indicators related to the MDG on maternal mortality. Out of the six indicators defining the MDG on child health, we lag in two and the most important — infant mortality rate — is off-track in terms of policy. Claims of progress in the remaining indicators, as well as those related to HIV-AIDS, are based on inadequate data.

The 18^th Amendment devolves health care completely to the provinces. Part I of the Federal Legislative List has only one minor entry on health: Port quarantine, seamen’s and marine hospitals and hospitals connected with port quarantine. In the case of education, Part I allows the federal government to set up its own libraries and institutes for research, technical training and special studies. International student exchange also comes under federal jurisdiction. Part II of the Federal Legislative includes the standards of institutions for higher education and research. But the subjects in Part II are not exclusively under federal jurisdiction; they are shared through the Council of Common Interests. These devolved arrangements are in the interest of effective service delivery and improved outcomes. They are also necessary to satisfy the aspirations of our socially diverse provinces.

It has been argued that the curriculum has to be a federal subject to promote national integration. This has been so since 1947, yielding tons of empirical evidence to support the opposite. National curricula has alienated smaller provinces and failed to produce a culture of tolerance and accommodation. If anything, it has strengthened the case for creating more provinces. The national project now has to seek unity in diversity rather than putting a gloss over increasing intolerance. There are issues of capacity and resources. The Seventh NFC has shifted the resource balance in favour of provinces in the case of federally collected taxes. Some new taxes have also been assigned to the provinces. Capacity development can take some time, but it is not rocket science. Education has always been seen as the critical entry point to building the state and the nation and the policies of this government need to reflect that.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th,  2011.