THE future of nations is shaped by education. This statement has little impact on nations lacking a sense of direction. Education aims to change people’s mindsets and help them reach their full potential. A tranquil society is nurtured through the power of education. It helps people understand the significance of creating a society where laws are universally followed, regardless of status or position. Nations that have achieved worldwide acclaim have placed education above all else. Muslims ruled the world because of their remarkable achievements in science and technology. The decline of Muslim empires can be attributed to their failure to keep pace with modern education trends.
Education, therefore, is crucial for the survival of nations. Owing to several reasons, the education system in Pakistan is considered a failed system that has not accomplished its goals. First, the goal of education is to offer equal opportunities for social and upward mobility. This occurs when there is equal treatment for all in the education sector. Removing barriers and ensuring equal education for everyone is necessary to achieve equality in education. The availability of education in Pakistan comes in different packages at different prices. The country has class-based systems in place. The correlation between wealth and educational opportunities is direct – the richer one is the more chances they have for better education.
For individuals from impoverished backgrounds, quality education is often unattainable. The current class-based system favours privileged children and disadvantages those from poor backgrounds in terms of fair competition. As children grow into adults, they retain the mindsets and skills influenced by the class-based system, which continue to shape them for life. Pakistan has schools and colleges for every class, though the quality of education can vary. Graduating from university can give students a definite advantage in life, especially if they have received a high-quality education from top universities and come from affluent backgrounds. But If they come from an underprivileged background, they risk being left behind in their field due to the compromised education they receive.
Second, education strives to generate harmonized mindsets and encourage uniform intellectual progress. A uniform education system throughout the country leads to this outcome. This system is necessary to guarantee national unity and integration. Without this, society divides into segments with distinct mindsets, resulting in polarization. The social fabric of Pakistan has become polarized. This is often attributed to political differences. While that is partially true, there is another factor contributing to this. The society in Pakistan is characterized by contrasting mindsets. These mindsets have a completely different way of thinking. Their inability to agree on political or social matters hinders consensus-building. These mindsets have developed on separate paths due to the contrasting life and survival perspectives they’ve gained from flawed education systems.
Pakistan has been greatly affected by these consequences. Controlling social segregation and division has become an impossible task nowadays. The widening gap between different segments indicates a society that has become polarized to an unacceptable extent reflecting the failure of the system of education. Third, education’s main objective is to foster individuals capable of bringing innovation through research. It additionally signifies the development of intellectuals capable of anticipating the future and preventing community breakdown. Pakistan’s education system has utterly failed to achieve this objective. The reason Pakistan depends on developed countries for technology is that our education system has not been able to foster individuals capable of making significant contributions to science and technology. Fourth, a system of education aims to establish a society that grants equal respect and growth opportunities to every gender. By empowering individuals, they can actively participate in the social, political and economic spheres.
Pakistan has long dreamed of creating this society, but the education system’s failure has hindered its realization. Lastly, education’s goal should be to safeguard the culture and values of a nation. The preservation of cultural values and national identity is crucial for preventing the permanent demise of nations. The sad reality is that the education sector has not been successful in preserving the cultural and ethical values passed down by our ancestors. Hence, an education emergency is essential to establish a society with equal opportunities. The aim of education emergency should be to minimize class distinctions and enhance individuals’ capacity for upward mobility.
Additionally, in implementing the education emergency, it is crucial to cultivate mindsets that are in harmony with a unified vision. Having different opinions is not the issue; what matters is a shared goal of national development and a unified vision. The focus of an education emergency should be on reducing polarization in society to promote national integration and social cohesion. The education emergency should focus on providing education to every out-of-school child. The aim should be to boost the country’s literacy rate within a specified time frame. A precise plan must be developed along with a strict implementation mechanism to accomplish this.
The goal of an educational emergency should be to cultivate scientists and researchers who can position Pakistan as a global leader in science and technology. Education emergency should strive for gender equality and eliminate discrimination between genders in society. In the education emergency, it is essential to preserve our cultural values. To tackle Pakistan’s education crisis, we need to prioritize the strict implementation of policies that address key issues in our education system. Without this, any educational emergency in Pakistan would be fruitless and the country will continue to face challenges in surviving in the modern era.
—The writer is an educationist and a Commoner from 44th Common, based in Sargodha.
(waqarhassancsp@gmail.com)
