The great divide


June 10, 2010

Every University of Karachi student signs an oath upon admission stating that they will personally teach one Pakistani how to read and write. Few ever do. The goal of the oath is to eliminate the gap between those with access to higher education and the larger population who cannot even read a street sign.

This divide is growing according to an official in the ministry of science and technology. He says the Higher Education Commission has ‘misplaced priorities’ because of which the educated are getting smarter and the u neducated are staying that way. Despite good intentions, poor planning and lack of strategy has resulted in a class of moderately qualified, potential employees whom no one will hire (including the government) because they lack specialisation.

Primary education remains a neglected step-child. Foreign and government funding tends to be spent on quick fix investments like education cities where assembly line PhD students can be produced. But until quality primary education is made affordable, higher education will remain a luxury that only few can afford or even aspire to.

This week the United States announced that it will provide aid worth $10 million for science and technology projects in Pakistan. The aid is part of the US-Pakistan Science and Technology Cooperative Programme that began in 2005. But what good has this aid done in the past four years?  Millions of dollars in aid has failed to improve government schools where teachers fail to convey information to students. Unqualified faculty pass pessimism on to their students like a disease.

Private groups have attempted to make a difference at an informal level – and they have. To each girl who now knows how to read the instructions of a sewing machine or to the little boy who can tell his father what a fertiliser can says. But once institutionalised the difference can be greater. An educated public, means educated voters. And that is what we all want, isn’t it?

Published in the Express Tribune, June 11th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

Asad Raza | 13 years ago | Reply This is excellent work on an issue very close to my heart as well. There was a time when the shift of focus had come to primary level education but as the author rightly stated not too much is being done today. It is correctly pointed out that one major reason for unemployment (and eventually crime and frustration) is this lack of basic education and later on specialization. While it is equally important to prepare "Professionally/Academically Qualified" individuals in the society yet I belive the bigger oppurtunity lies in basic education. I hope this article does stir up some thoughts if not in the people at the top, then maybe people like us who can atleast try to make a difference.
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ