The quality of education in Pakistan is at an abysmal level. From primary to tertiary education, Pakistan has failed to produce effective human resources for nation building. Pakistan’s education system is divided into three main categories: public, private and Madrasah. The public education system faces a lack of resources as 89% of the education budget is allocated to teachers and staff salaries and only 11% remains for development. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in the quality of education between public and private education. Students who reach the university level lack certain qualities such as research-oriented approach and creativity. This situation has been aggravated by Pakistan’s poor examination system. It is based on the cramming approach and discourages creativity in young students. Taking into account the baccalaureate and the intermediate exam; question papers are either definition-based questions or descriptive questions of important topics and students just cram the topic and reproduce it on answer sheets. In addition, the theoretical part of science subjects consists of 85% weighting, which discourages the practical approach in science subjects.
University education also presents the same substandard picture as secondary and upper secondary education. University instructors are also feeding students by providing certain grades to their students, assignments are full of plagiarism and there is a severe crisis of degree-level research work in universities. Thus, a university graduate complains of unemployment and lack of merit in the country; in fact, he lacks the basic qualities of a university graduate that are essential for leading modern industry.
Let us rise to the occasion and fight for an educated Pakistan. Let future generations not say that we have not been up to the task.
MUHAMMAD USSAMA MAJEED,
Lahore, November 3.
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