Article

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM AND PAKISTAN!

We all know the importance of education. It is the most important aspect of any nation’s survival today. Education builds the nations; it determines the future of a nation. So that’s why we have to adopt our Education Policies very carefully because our future depends on these policies.

ISLAM also tells us about Education and its importance. The real essence of Education according to ISLAM is “to know ALLAH” but I think in our country we truly lost. Neither our schools nor our madrassa’s (Islamic Education Centers) are truly educating our youth in this regard. In schools, we are just preparing them for “Money”. We aren’t educating them we are just preparing “Money Machines”. We are only increasing the burden of the books for our children and just enrolling them in a reputed, big school for what, just for social status? On the other hand in our madrassas we are preparing people who finds very difficult to adjust in the modern society. Sometimes it seems that they are from another planet. A madrassa student can’t compete even in our country then the World is so far from him. He finds very difficult to even speak to a school boy. It is crystal clear that Islamic Education is necessary for Muslims but it is also a fact that without modern education no one can compete in this world. I think with the current education system we are narrowing the way for our children instead of widening it. There is no doubt that our children are very talented, both in schools and in madrassas, we just need to give them proper ways to groom, give them the space to become Quaid-E-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Alberoni, Einstein.

The education system we are running with is not working anymore. We have to find a way to bridge this gap between school and madrassa. Edward Everett says “Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.” Sadly, in Pakistan we are spending extra money on our arms than on education. In price of a grenade almost 20 to 30 children can go to school for the whole year. On the other hand, a grenade can kill 20 to 30 blameless people. So a grenade is damaging in two ways, stopping children education and then killing innocent peoples

Now let’s talk about our Policy Makers, it seems they are not working enough. Every year policy for education is reviewed by the government but the results are same. Illiteracy rate is going upwards in Pakistan according to a recent survey. Somebody starting “Nai Roshni School”, somebody starting “Parha Likha Punjab” etc. for what to educate Pakistan? Well, I don’t think so. These “People” are playing with our nation for the last 60 years just for their on profits and aims. We should and we have to think about our children education now that are we educating them in the right way? We have to act now otherwise it’s going to be too late for PAKISTAN!

Critique

The major problem occurring in Pakistan is education. Education is the most essential element for the progress of a nation. It is a worldwide fact that nations who have reached the heights of the development and success have done it by using education and information as a tool. Education is simply an investment to achieve both human and economic expansion. But, it is one of the major problem in Pakistan.

As we all know that in Pakistan educational system is based on different mediums which divides the students in two segments. Mostly private schools are English medium while the Government schools are Urdu medium. Regional differences are also a major cause for a poor educational system in Pakistan. Yes, Poverty is another factor that prohibits the parents to send their children to private school where the quality of education is high. Poor people get their children admitted to government schools or in madrassa’s. Mostly teachers in government schools are not professionally trained. But I disagree from the statement that, “A madrassa student can’t compete even in our country then the World is so far from him. He finds very difficult to even speak to a school boy”. According to me there are many examples of Muslim Scholars who not only study the Holy Quran but also mastered the other subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology and many more.I believe that the author is true that the theme of education is to know Allah, our relation with Allah, our relation with other humans, Muslims & non-Muslims as Allah guides us. But, I deny the spending of budget on arms instead of education because it is also in Quran Surah Anfal (Verse 60): “Hence, make ready against them whatever force and war mounts, you are able to muster, so that you might discourage thereby the enemies of God, who are your enemies as well, and others besides them of whom you may be unaware, [but] of whom God is aware; and whatever you may expend in God's cause shall be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged”.

Keeping the mentioned fraud polices in mind education system is now designed to produce only a 'clerical' class, upon the completion of their education academics the youth try to find fixed salary and low risk secure jobs. The top priority is often government jobs because there is remote possibility of getting thrown out of them, in addition to other financial and material benefits offered by them. However, the number of such salaried jobs is limited.

Overall, I liked the article and the purpose of the article was only to point out the weaknesses of the modern education system. The education system fails to provide intellectual satisfaction and hence a feasible living where mutually beneficial relationships can be established with other human beings, groups of people and with nature, which is necessary for the growth of society. As a result of the all-round failure of our education system a need has been established for new thinking in this direction.