Ending urban-rural discrepancy: Experts call for uniform education system

Speakers highlight need for higher GDP allocation for education.

ISLAMABAD:

The importance of introducing uniform education across the country was stressed during a two-day conference that concluded here on Thursday.

The conference, “Investing in Education for a Progressive Nation”, was organised by Pakistan Coalition for Education and attended by 200 civil society representatives from over 40 districts.

Speakers at the conference said the country is witnessing vast discrepancies between rural and urban classes, which cannot be overcome unless all teaching and learning standards till the eighth grade are standardised.

Policy Analyst Javed Hassan Aly gave an informative presentation on the civil society’s role in education policymaking. He noted that though policymaking should strike a balance between demand and supply, most policies in Pakistan are made keeping only the supply side in mind.

“What we are witnessing is the making of projects without any specific policy. Ideally, projects should be a consequence of policy, but that is not the case in Pakistan,” he said. “However, thanks to our vibrant civil society, some form of public legislation is accomplished through discourse and innuendo.”

Some of the speakers criticised the provincial governments for not bringing forward an educational map as per Article 25A of the Constitution. However, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) education secretary said they had already been formulated a plan for the next four years.

According to the plan, 38% of the provincial budget will be allocated for education, of which 70% will be dedicated specifically for girls. Furthermore, education will be tailored to the Regional Language Bill, so that the cultural identity of K-P can be kept intact. Representatives of development organisations said funds from donor agencies alone cannot bring a sustainable change in education. They urged the government to intervene and accomplish its long-term goals.

Political leaders drew a comparison between Pakistan and other South Asian countries, positing that Pakistan is lagging behind in education. They attributed this to two main reasons --- educational disparity and low spending on education.

MQM’s Farooq Sattar and PTI’s Sadaqat Abbasi both suggested spending 5 to 7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education, instead of the 1.7% currently being spent.

Politicians also suggested using dormant government buildings to be converted into educational institutions.

Speaking on the media’s role in education, IA Rehman, the general secretary of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said media should differentiate between the concepts of literacy and education, and be mindful to set standards that promote depth and analysis.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2012.