Education revolution or political gimmick?

The gist of the contemporary laptop scheme unreservedly employed by the government aims to rally the masses around their political campaign rather than actual education reform. Pakistan’s political elite has peregrination of employing divisive strategies in their joust for power, such as misusing many forums, including education. These strategies are disguised as innovations to advance a particular narrative that brings forth a biased representation of political parties. The current laptop initiative is the same glitzy strategy to galvanise the youth and gain political traction.

Under the current scheme, 100,000 laptops will be provided to Pakistani youngsters based on merit. The oft-cited mantra is that these laptops will revolutionise education and be a weapon against ignorance and illiteracy. But the question is: how specifically will this scheme aid in fighting ignorance and advancing education? Tech-mediated education undoubtedly espouses a vision of a wealth of knowledge, but it appears paltry in comparison to the exigent reality that most of the schools and colleges lack even the basic amenities, such as blackboards, appropriate classrooms, libraries and qualified teachers. As pinpointed by the Annual Status Education Report, 14% of school-age children are not attending schools in the rural parts of the Punjab. The ratio has dramatically increased by 5% as compared to 2019. Given that it is transpiring in Punjab, the most astronomical and opulent region, our political elites should be quite concerned. The rising inflation is one of the key causes of this high ratio. How do the kitsch families manage to take their kids to school when they cannot afford one-time meal for each child? In most cases, these families do not encourage their kids to go to school, instead, they compel them to get a job to make ends meet. That’s why child labour is so prevalent. The families felt the pinch with the final straw of Covid-19 which exacerbated their ability to earn due to lockdowns and quarantines. Eventually, societies mired in financial and social crises tread a tightrope walk to either educate their children or make them earn bread and butter.

Another disconsolate scenario is the brain drain crisis, which is getting worse in Pakistan, where the majority of the country’s brightest young people are leaving to other countries in search of better prospects. It is significant that, in 2022, more than 765,000 young, educated professionals departed Pakistan in pursuit of employment abroad, largely because of the domestic milieu plagued with political unrest and protracted economic crises. Ironically, the scheme to mobilise youth is simultaneously engendering an exodus of cream of nation.

Amid all the tumult, the ill-directed actions of the political leadership engender a sense of obliviousness towards the nation. As the country is going through a fragile situation, the political elites are toying with political gimmicks without noticing the gaffe. To retake control of power at all costs, the ruling elites are employing deceptive strategies. The entire democratic system could be harmed by this risky political game.

This scenario proffers that the government needs refurbishment of the entire educational system because gifting laptops does not harbour any hopes. The government should mull over taking a timely initiative to strengthen the foundation of the educational system because when it is in good form, everything else will follow. The political elites must consider the root issues, such as financial conditions, child labour rates, child dropout rates and adequate infrastructure. Most essentially, the government should give predilection to provide stipends and scholarships to encourage higher level education. More investment is required in the higher education sector. It is equally crucial to stress that the access and connectivity that cellphones, computers and internet presently offer do not by themselves produce a thinking mind. There is a need to reorient resources effectively to lay the foundations of quality education and building critical mindsets. In this way, young people will have a bright future and overall sustainable development will pervade.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2023.

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