In my childhood, I recall often being compared to my cousin which was really something I used to find irritating because he had received his education from abroad, while I, like millions of others, had been part of a setup whose major characteristic happens to be rote memorisation, or ‘rattafication’, as it is commonly called. There is hardly any focus on helping the students understand the core concepts. I often wondered if the teachers understood the concept, for, after all, most of them had had exposure to the same age-old system.
In developing countries, education remains one of the most neglected sectors. In Pakistan’s case, it has remained neglected for as long as the human memory recalls. The hasty journey between un-planned nationalisation of schools to an equally unplanned privatisation proved disastrous for the country.
What Pakistan needs is a dedicated team with full authority that may brain-storm its way to a set of mass-level reforms, and then execute the plan professionally and independently.
Like cities develop with better facilities, the education sector needs the same — proper infrastructure, modern tools, and a learning-friendly environment — so that the students, without any discrimination, may get what they deserve. Change is possible when the intent is sincere.
ABDULLAH ALI
KARACHI
