Pakistan's Education system | Reforms & Upgrades.

[Jit]

I'm not referring to the content in textbooks, but the fact that we have millions of children out of school right now because of parties like the ANP, PPP, and PML-N.



Drivel. I studied O-level History only a year ago and never encountered anything derogatory towards Hindus. I do however, remember one phrase about Muhammad Bin Qasim founding Pakistan. Are you going to base your entire assessments on the Pakistani education system on a HISTORY course? I'd talk about how there's incredible pressure on children to get A*'s and how children need to memorize test answers word by word, or how the education hardly promotes critical thinking. History? Please.

may be you cut that class! you should watch this Pakistani television report - she quotes exact area, class, book and page.

 

[A$HU]

you have not had any democratic or secular leaders ever in power ! military and clergy have always ruled either directly after a coup or indirectly as even right now. Is it any wonder even kids attending schools are taught rubbish, whether the school is a madrassah or a regula public school?

A simple example: your public school kids are taught with text books that say things like 'Pakistan was created long time ago by mhd bin qasim'! 'Hindus don't teach any good values to their children'...

Are these the kind of content that should be in school books?

On a completely another topic what is your ethnicity bro?

 

[Paksanity]

you have not had any democratic or secular leaders ever in power ! military and clergy have always ruled either directly after a coup or indirectly as even right now. Is it any wonder even kids attending schools are taught rubbish, whether the school is a madrassah or a regula public school?

A simple example: your public school kids are taught with text books that say things like 'Pakistan was created long time ago by mhd bin qasim'! 'Hindus don't teach any good values to their children'...

Are these the kind of content that should be in school books?

I am fairly certain you have never gone through text books of Pakistan. There are no such things as you mentioned. Are we speaking from our perception, sir?

You mentioned learning History objectively. Out of curiosity, do American text books mention atrocities of European settlers to Red Indians, Black slaves conditions, and the fact that we drove out indigenous people for their land? I wonder?!

 

[Jit]

I am fairly certain you have never gone through text books of Pakistan. There are no such things as you mentioned. Are we speaking from our perception, sir?

You mentioned learning History objectively. Out of curiosity, do American text books mention atrocities of European settlers to Red Indians, Black slaves conditions, and the fact that we drove out indigenous people for their land? I wonder?!

did you not see the video I posted of Pakistanis discussing how such erroneous and hatefillied material is in public school texts ...with page numbers? just click on the link in my earlier post

 

[Hiptullha]

may be you cut that class! you should watch this Pakistani television report - she quotes exact area, class, book and page.

A YouTube video can hardly be considered evidence. I've studied from 3 textbooks during my O' Levels, one by Nigel Kelly, another by Nigel Smith, and the last by Farooq Naseem Bajwa, each one with hardly any bigotry towards Hindus.

 

[Paksanity]

I have been educated in Pakistani system. Will you believe me?

 

[Hiptullha]

I have been educated in Pakistani system. Will you believe me?

Quiet, dirty "Arabized" Pakistani filth. Let the intelligent Indian tell you about your country.

 

[Leader]

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is planning to remove at least 50% of public school teachers over poor performance, but not before giving them a golden handshake.

Additional Secretary for Education Qaiser Alam told The Express Tribune the golden handshake is among the options under consideration to improve the standard of education in government-run schools.

“Under this policy, teachers will be able to retire in an honourable manner,” he added.

According to official data, the provincial government has spent Rs93 billion on the education department which has 125,000 teachers on its payroll. However, this has not brought the performance of government schools at par with private schools.

As a result, the current government is chalking out a strategy to separate the grain from the chaff and only induct qualified and dedicated personnel as teachers at state-run institutes.

Through the NTS

Under the new plan, all teachers currently employed by the department will be expected to take the National Testing Services (NTS) exam which will be arranged at a district level. This will serve as a litmus test whereby the government can select the right people for the right posts.

According to insiders, teachers will be expected to score at least 50% in the test. If they do not make the cut, they will be given a chance to seek retirement under the golden handshake policy, as per still unconfirmed plans.

Alam said a series of discussions and consultations regarding the plans in the education department are under way. However, the final decision will be taken by the K-P cabinet once the approval of PTI Chairman Imran Khan has been sought.

Farewell to arms

Political parties have voiced reservations over arming school teachers; a decision the provincial government first announced and later took a U-turn on.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan denied that the government had allowed teachers to carry weapons. However, twice in January Minister for Information Mushtaq Ghani had been quoted as saying teachers would be allowed to carry licenced permits to school, where parent-teacher councils would monitor their use.

Even after the rebuttal, members of various political parties are shocked to find this was proposed as a strategy to enhance security at schools. They are of the view that weaponising schools will strengthen the existing gun culture in the province. According to political leaders, it is time to bid farewell to arms and keep children away from them.

“I don’t know how a child will be able to get education with an AK-47 in his teacher’s hands,” Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Baz Muhammad Khan said.

Baz Muhammad urged the K-P government to devise a strategy to overcome militancy rather than encourage every citizen to carry arms. “This will negatively impact the minds of young schoolchildren,” he said. “I want children to hold pens rather than brandish guns.”

Former K-P chief minister and Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI-F) MPA Akram Khan Durrani pressed the government to consult all political parties before taking any further steps.

“People with nefarious minds could obtain arms licences and wreak havoc,” he said. “The government, and not its citizens, is responsible for protecting the public.”

Meanwhile, Qaumi Watan Party’s (QWP) Anisa Zeb Tahirkhili urged the government to focus on security of schools and issue licences to security guards. “Giving teachers guns will undermine the fact that a pen is mightier than a sword,” Tahirkhili said.

Setting the record straight

When asked, former minister of health Shaukat Yousafzai said the decision was being portrayed in a negative light. The provincial government has not allowed teachers to carry guns. However, he added that teachers will be issued licences if they approach the government.

brilliant... poor performance will result in termination of the service...

 

[Kurlang]

Interesting take. True also

 

[Dubious]

Education System Reform in Pakistan:
Why, When, and How?

Mehnaz Aziz
Children’s Global Network, Pakistan
David E. Bloom
Harvard School of Public Health and IZA
Salal Humair
Harvard School of Public Health
Emmanuel Jimenez
IEG, World Bank
Larry Rosenberg
Harvard School of Public Health
Zeba Sathar
Population Council, Pakistan
Policy Paper No. 76
January 2014


IZA
P.O. Box 7240
53072 Bonn
Germany
Phone: +49-228-3894-0
Fax: +49-228-3894-180
E-mail: iza@iza.org


The IZA Policy Paper Series publishes work by IZA staff and network members with immediate
relevance for policymakers. Any opinions and views on policy expressed are those of the author(s)
and not necessarily those of IZA.
The papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of
such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly
from the corresponding author.

IZA Policy Paper No. 76
January 2014

ABSTRACT
Education System Reform in Pakistan: Why, When, and How?

Pakistan’s education system faces long-standing problems in access, quality, and equal
opportunity at every level: primary and secondary schools, higher education and vocational
education. In spite of recent encouraging trends, such as the rapid spread of private
schooling and an expansion of higher education opportunities, systemic reform remains
stubbornly elusive. The inability of successive governments to reform the system has created
severe constraints for Pakistan’s economic and societal development. An inability to act now
will increase the problems manifold in the future, due to a burgeoning youth population and
increasing competitive pressures from other developing countries that are devoting more
attention to education.
We discuss in this paper the imperative for education system reform in Pakistan, and
articulate why a window of opportunity exists at this time for all stakeholders – government,
civil society and donors – to initiate reform. We emphasize, however, some key messages.
One, that reform must tackle all sectors of the education system – primary/secondary, higher
education and vocational education – as Pakistan does not have the luxury to delay reform in
one sector until the other sectors improve. Two, reform in every sector must be systemic –
i.e. with well-defined goals, focus on a minimal set of areas such as governance, financing,
human resources, and curriculum and address them all together, rather than piecemeal.
Three, implementation is the all-important Achilles’ heel, where Pakistan has limited
resources and has often foundered on the rocks. But as we discuss, there are important
examples demonstrating that success is achievable, if government and civil society have the
will to initiate and sustain reform.


JEL Codes: I21, I25, I28, H52
Keywords: education, economic development, educational reform, Pakistan


Corresponding author:
David E. Bloom
Department of Global Health and Population
Harvard School of Public Health
665 Huntington Avenue
Building I 12th Floor, Suite 1202
Boston, MA 02115
USA

E-mail: dbloom@hsph.harvard.edu


Attached is the full 20+ pg report of the tragedy called EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN:

http://ftp.iza.org/pp76.pdf

 

[VCheng]

A girl's school in Landi Kotal, photo posted without any comment:

 

[Masood Khan 1]

biggest problem plaguing our system.

 

[Gauss]

philosophy, free from religious bias, and history, free from national bias should be introduced. these two go a long way in making an educated mind.

definition of educated mind:

 

[Anna Scott]

In Pakistan, only one Education system is necessary and after 18th amendment.. You give rights to provinces which is actually itself a big disaster because your nationalism will be killed.

 

[surya kiran]

A girl's school in Landi Kotal, photo posted without any comment:

Kudos to the lady teacher who is sitting and teaching there. Kudos to the parents of these girls who have sent them there. Especially, since this is FATA.

I think, one needs to appreciate the effort being put in at the ground level before passing or comparing a school with a western standard system. While, the picture is not the best case scenario the takeaway can be that, there needs to be an active involvement of the local population to further this.

Does Pakistan have anything like a Panchayat, which can may be build a roof for these children during the rains? Or can the parents of these children contribute (not monetarily) to build a thatched roof these children?

The point I am trying to make is that, in rural areas, a school could be defined as a tree. What matters is, whether that tree is used to spread wisdom or not. I hope, you get my point.