In the education sector, 2013 proved to be an errant year to say the least. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR: While militants remained busy destroying schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the tribal areas, the education sector was marred with conspiracies regarding curriculum changes proposed by lawmakers. In the education sector, 2013 proved to be an errant year to say the least.
Despite Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) claims of overhauling the education system, nothing of note changed over the first six months of governance. When the PTI-led coalition took Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) reins, there emerged a chatter of changing curriculums. Embedded in the core of PTI’s six-point education policy was the idea of a uniform curriculum for all schools, public and private.
At the beginning of the academic year, text books for English language were changed in primary and secondary schools. “Teachers here do not have a strong grip on the English language. They found it very difficult to teach from the new text books, because the books were too difficult for them to understand themselves,” said a schoolteacher in Charsadda.
He claimed that while the education drives held in May and September helped increase school enrollment, there has been no change as to the dearth of infrastructural and financial support from the government. Female student attendances also improved albeit to a very small extent. “ To improve female literacy rates in the area the government needs to build more female-only schools, along with training more women teachers,” the teacher said.
Meanwhile, militants targeted 46 schools in the province, destroying 13 completely, according to the education department. The tribal belt suffered an even worse fate where 474 schools were destroyed.
Ray of hope
Immediately after the PTI took charge of the education ministry, working groups at elementary, secondary and higher education levels were formed and directed to devise reform strategies for education in the province.
To realise the dream of bringing state-run educational institutes at par with private schools, the provincial government is leaving no stone unturned. Many reform proposals are currently on the table for debate.
Minister for Education Muhammad Atif said change will be gradual, perhaps over 10 years, and will be carried out in phases. The Education City project is one of the main initiatives taken last year. Although efforts are being made to improve education in the province, Imran Khan’s initial claims remain a distant reality. Literacy rates are yet to improve and school buildings are yet to be constructed. At the dawn of the New Year, people cling to the hope that ‘change’ will arrive soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2014.
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Interesting. So would the writer also care to mention exactly what were the claims made by Imran Khan related to Education, before calling them unfulfilled? Or did the writer assume so himself? In fact, Imran Khan is on record saying the education sector would be the most difficult to fix...even before elections.
Would've been more worthwhile if the writer had also mentioned the steps KP govt taking. How about mentioning the large scale training of teachers and introduction of uniform syllabus from March 2014? How about the Independent Monitoring Unit due to start this month to ensure attendance, facilities at schools? The enrolment drive? (Though that gets a mention) Steps to curb political postings of teachers i.e. the no transfer policy introduced? Measures for fast track induction of new teachers to fill massive shortage?
Quoting one teacher can hardly be called an informed analysis.