How committed are the South Asian nations to promoting education for all? How focused, indeed, are they on building their future?

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, an important Millennium Development Goal (MDG) was drafted that focuses on increasing literacy among children around the world. It asks the member States to “ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.”

Unfortunately, a look at the status of education in some Asian countries depicts a worrisome trend and it is feared that they might not be able to achieve this goal within the stipulated timeframe. The drop-out rates are on the rise among children from poor families, girls, street children and other marginalized groups.

According to UNESCO, Asia has the world’s largest share of children not receiving an education. UNESCO’s Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2007 states that Pakistan ranks second in the world with the highest number of out-of-school children. Of these 6.5 million out-of-school Pakistani children, “80 per cent were never enrolled, 10 per cent dropped out, while the remaining could get to school at some later stage.” India ranks third with 4.5 million such kids. India also houses the largest number of ‘working’ children in the world – about ¼ of the world’s total. The official Indian Government figures estimate the number of working children to be at about 59 million, though Oxfam estimates speak of 100-150 million.

Out-of-school children – whether not enrolled at all or drop-outs – often end up in the child labour markets, working in some of the worst working conditions imaginable. This includes working in brick kilns and factories in bonded-labour with no fixed hours or minimum wage-limit, as well as being forcibly recruited to fight in conflict areas and sold into commercial sex tourism.

Girls comprise about 57% of all out-of-school children and 2/3 of adults without access to literacy are women. In a majority of developing countries, girls suffer serious forms of discrimination. In Pakistan, over half of the population comprises of children, roughly a ¼ of which are girls. Sadly, only 25% of these girls manage to finish primary school. UNESCO supports girls’ education in developing countries by sponsoring their access to, and retention in, primary education and by encouraging education policies and strategies of governments and NGOs that aim to provide girls and women with equal opportunities of learning and decision-making regarding their future.

The United Nations (UN) estimates the number of street children to be around 100 million. According to Asian Development bank (ADB) reports, the world’s largest number of street children resides in South Asia. They constitute the marginalized group of many Asian societies and are often neglected by governments when implementing welfare schemes. The Human Rights Watch has found that India has 18 million street children, the world’s largest concentration (HRWA 2000). Other Asian nations offer similar trends. In Afghanistan, more than two decades of war has resulted in huge populations of orphaned street children struggling to survive – about 37,000 based on a headcount in 2002. Nepal is home to about 30,000 street children according to a 1996 estimate. These street children constitute a big part of the statistics of children who are either out-of-school or are drop-outs.
Some experts estimate that half of the 104 million out-of-school children live in countries that are in, or recovering from conflict.

Education in crisis situations can provide children with a sense of normalcy, but in the first Global Survey on Education in Emergencies, research shows that “over 27 million children and youth do not have access to education in 10 countries affected by conflict.” In Sri Lanka, in the North-Eastern Province alone, it is estimated that 2,000 children have been involved in the guerilla warfare as child soldiers, and face difficulties readapting to age-appropriate living conditions. In such areas, UNESCO not only provides emergency educational assistance but also helps local aid agencies and governments to establish makeshift schools, improve learning conditions and provide other necessary materials.

One major hurdle, in the provision of basic education to children, is limitation arising from some form of disability such as physical handicaps, cognitive, motor, visual or auditory disabilities. According to UNESCO the number of children under the age of 18 with disabilities around the world has been estimated to be between 120 and 150 million, and more than 90% of such disadvantaged children in developing countries do not attend school. Although humanitarian aid agencies insist upon special initiatives for the disabled, many South Asian nations are lagging far behind in undertaking the necessary initiatives.

For the Asian nations still struggling in the education sector, the drop-out rate is a bigger problem than enrolment, though both offer serious cause for concern. According to UNESCO’s Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2007, “the net enrolment ratio (NER) in Pakistan is less than 80 per cent as compared to other developing countries where enrolment ratios jumped to over 85 per cent by 2004″, says the report, adding that “NERs increased significantly in South and West Asia from 77 per cent to 86 per cent, with the exception of Pakistan and Nepal.”

A UNESCO 2004 study reveals that Asia tops the school dropout league. An Asian Development Bank (ADB) report suggests that in South Asia, for every 100 children who start grade one, less than 60 will complete grade five within the prescribed time. The Primary school drop-out rates for some Asian countries are:

Pakistan – 55%
India – 53%
Laos – 47%
Burma – 45%
Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh – 35-38%

Despite efforts of the UN and Aid Agencies, as well as governments and NGOs, the drop-out rates clearly establish that much more needs to be done. Some of the steps that may be taken to improve enrollments and decrease drop-out rates are:

• It is important for enrolment and sustainability that States make primary education free and compulsory According to the new edition of the EFA Global Monitoring Report, “Primary-school fees, which are a major obstacle for universal access, are still collected in 89 countries out of 103 surveyed.” It must also be accessible to all, without any form of discrimination – as the Salamanca Statement urges: “… schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions.”
(Article 3, The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action, Salamanca, Spain, 1994)

• It is important to fight all kinds of injustice done to the girl-child. Recently, one religious cleric in Pakistan declared girls’ education as un-Islamic. As a result, parents of more than 2,000 girls in that area stopped sending them to school. It is important not to allow anyone to manipulate religious sentiment, and impress upon parents and other community members the value of an educated female as a useful community member who would also pass on the benefits of education to the future generations.

• There is a need for a large number of qualified teachers in Asia. In 75% of Indian schools there is only one teacher for several classes. In Pakistan, officially, there is one teacher per 35 students in primary schools and one teacher per 48 students at secondary level, but a serious problem for Pakistan government is the presence of ‘Ghost’ schools in remote areas where teachers simply don’t turn up. Bangladeshi pupils are found to be in the most crowded classes, with just one teacher for every 57 pupils. Cases of physical punishment also result in increasing drop-out rates. UNESCO officials stress the need for properly trained teachers with adequate command over their respective subjects and teaching skills. Neglected groups must be targeted specifically in all social uplifting schemes with approaches having flexible non-formal teaching methodologies rather than promoting standard schooling.

• Improving the quality of curriculum would increase its value and, hence, sustained participation. The education curriculum must include teaching of technical skills and life skills to give children a chance at practical and productive livelihoods. That would also encourage parents to get their children enrolled.

• Poverty alleviation schemes involving government and NGO sector should focus on countering the effects of lack of basic necessities such as food, clothing etc. Creating awareness about the importance of support and guidance from parents and the relevance of formal education would also go a long way in solving the drop-out problem.

If the efforts of organizations committed to spreading education around the world are supplemented by a stronger political will of governments, there is no reason why the MDG on literacy cannot be achieved by 2015. It would be a very small investment in terms of the far reaching development benefits it would yield.

(This article originally appeared in SouthAsia magazine.)

A few weeks ago, while discussing the future of Pakistan, I hit some clichés which although vital can be considered redundant in terms of thought and creativity of development in Pakistan, as they are equivalent to banging on the old closed door, ‘for and against’ a rhetoric of education which lacks creative insight.

In this issue I would want to refine my emphasis on education as I quoted earlier ‘the quantity and quality and the deepening of the system in the only way to prosperity’ – For one, lets over look technical education, rural education, the education outside the mainstream, the quality of the local metric, the administrative, managerial, political problems within the masses system.

Let us consider the short coming of the some of the best and lime lighted Institutions in the country, with a specific focus on the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) as a case study, given my first hand exposure and eventual opportunity to progress and move further away.

The Institute had its high days, produced some of the highest achievers in the country and probably even does so today- but more due to its social name which in the first place leads to an influx of quality minds relative to its nurturing capacity and consequent positive effect on the students. Simply said, it takes from, rather than gives back it’s the student, if anything, a social stamp, which surely is not the progressive purpose of education.

I believe, in the current day- the IBA effect- has a positive social, yet negative mental (empowerment) fall out on each individual that goes to that university. The cost-benefit can be weighted on the current standing of the institute. Although, the cost-benefit is tilted in favour of the benefit today, it will certainly be offset in the near future by the cost due to the availability of better alternatives of education specifically the external education programs and the inability of the Institute to change progressively.

The Institute today is a lost soul, an army prototype machine- which although is a job creating factory for its graduates, lacks the juice to motivate learning. Its fame is predominantly driven by the lack of better alternatives to the school instead of the bounties you may associate with a tier one institution and the knowledge it disseminates to its students. What a great education model that is? – given the purpose and meaning of education discussed in an earlier post by Mona Shahzad. [Multiple Education Systems or Single System of Complete Education?]

However, its social standing and running today will inevitably change as better options mature and spread through our society.

In terms of practice, the Institute demands a lot of work from its students, and fairly so. However, the demands are based on quantity relative to quality. In the developed world (for lack of a better word), education is purposed to empower the human mind, instigate a road to on-going learning and trigger confidence (on a absolute rather than relative level) – not measured in terms of domestic value but in terms of drivers of unbounded boundaries. The system is complemented by state of openness, access and free (libre) thinking.

Up-to-date research papers, comprehensive discussions groups, question answers with progressive study, questioning the very gut of the best of the best, with no absolute answer and all relative ideas- the student as the king, the student as the focus, their mentality and personality as their differentiation attributes, learning and education is disseminated in its true form (a further inspiration to learn). The system triggers a set of belief and support in the student and maps the roads to unbounded development.

However in the current IBA (not the one 15 years from ago), learning is based on books from the past decades, rout learning and a ‘yes’ sir attitude is the demand of each day, no questions- and very little answers, the teacher is the king and a reproduction of doctrine rhetoric rather than any creative input of the best of the best is the map for a successful grade, exceptions apart. Therefore, let alone the epidemic of no education, the educated are also being cursed with the plague of our surroundings.

However recently (2004), the National Curriculum Revision Committee for Business Schools (Pakistan) revised and standardised text books across business schools in the country. Paradoxically enough, the majority of text books approved are written by Western authors, particularly American. Most books listed by Pakistani authors are predominantly based around subjects specific to Pakistan and Islam (Sarah Khan, 2007). One wonders why such a classification exist, what happened to context specific application? If anything, alternatives from India and other developing countries which face similar business environments to Pakistan would be better relative to models from business environments which are alien to our surroundings- given the practical purpose of BBA and MBA programs (which are run in the IBA) relative to the academic scientific tone provided by BSC and MSC programs (not provided in IBA). Further, does this indicate incompetence of our authors on the international arena or exposes our mental dependence on the west?

Undoubtedly, the graduates from the University are very hard working, goal oriented individuals- even if the goal is to meet deadlines, get through course work, achieve the IBA stamp and attain a high paying job, they are being nurtured and tuned in a mentality of dependency which is not surprising given the feudal mentality grilled in our surroundings. This is further evident, given the lack of students the school inspires to go attain a PHD, which truly shows that education has become the consequence rather than the cause of our lives.

Today, the future is at stake, if we don’t identify and rectify these bottlenecks, we will be plagued for decades to come, until we will be so far behind- that the current foreign exchange burdens would have exponentially multiplied- given the infiltration of external programmes coming into the country plus our very graduates going abroad- let alone other indirect strains on the foreign exchange.

As always, even today we strive for freedom but we do not know what to do with that freedom- as we rarely will, if we do not have a matured and progressive domestic platform. We need to break free from the strings of our traditional mentality, the doctrines of our system- especially given that by definition, the University in question produces the future leaders of our nation.

It is believed that education drives change, however, in Pakistan education itself is caught in the vicious circle. Mind you, as a policy perspective this requires no money- not at all, only foresight, belief, the acceptance of our shortcoming and willingness to change.

Under a protectionist regime, a regime which says NO to competition, free markets and empowerment of the human mind.

It certainly does not fit with the future we want to attain in our country (Pakistan) in terms of mentality, thought or practice. It replicates the mentality of dependency and being second tier in world practice, even if that qualifies as first tier in our domestic market. The methodology is based on grilling knowledge and fostering dependency rather than sowing the seeds for academic fruit, human thinking and breaking the stereotypes. Hence its objective and focus is not suited to competition on a global scale given the early half of the 21st century, where capitalism in its innovative form is the norm or believed norm for growth and progress.

Further, its business model and success in the current years is based on the lack of competitive alternatives (LUMS as an exception) in terms of networking, business education and the high and lust created by the graduates of the past decades. The norms of the system were compatible with the markets of the past decades. However, the changing tide and the lack of flexibility is evident by the influx and take over being drafted by the external programs infiltrating and further deepening our foreign exchange problems.

Further, the lust of the early 1990′s does not exist today, not due to the graduates themselves- who probably are the tier one students and hardworking academic souls in the country but rather through the norms of dependency inculcated in our practice (system) by the British pre-partition.

In the next issue, I will discuss my claims in depth (this is a teaser- to say the most), drawing a link between the current issue and my quotation from an earlier post ‘quantity, quality and the deepening of the education system is the only way to prosperity’.

Till then,

Note: To my friends from IBA- your response is especially appreciated and further, this is not to discount your hard work but to highlight your spirit and work with a framework of constructive criticism for progress and a better future.

IBA: Institute of Business Administration- Pakistan

There are basically three kinds of system so far running, private institution that cater to elite class, government institution which are cost effective for the lower income group and madrasa system providing religious education. Every system has targeted different class of people providing separate mode of education. Main stream formal education lacks enough exposure to religious teachings and Quranic Philosophy, in contrast to this madrasa system is going to the other extreme offering religious education exclusively. Increasing personality complex, unsecured careers, class distinction, unequal career opportunities, unequal participation in democratic processes, weak human ties and absence of ethical rules are the effects of multiple education systems existing in society.

Lather says, “Education is the activity that purpose for bringing up a child or a young. It is a set of the acquired intellectual and manual habits, as well as ethical features.” The philosophers and educationists put stress not only on the importance of education but they equally highlight complete function of education i.e. academic excellence along with ethical and spiritual development. Plato says, “Education stands for granting the souls and bodies as much possible an amount of aesthetes and perfection.” For Gold Simon, “Education is the way of making the intellect a real intellect and heart a real heart.” Complete definition of education indicates that education should be the tool of achieving intellectual growth along with nourishing souls with virtual ethics.

The period of 800 to 1300 A.D. was the golden period when Muslims scholars were spreading knowledge of modern science. They were making new discoveries and inventions and writing books on various branches of science when most of the present day developed countries of Europe were passing through so called ‘dark age’. Muslims were the first to introduce experiments for verification of theories. The historians of science admit the fact that modern science has developed through the firm scientific foundation laid by Muslims scientists. Muslims scientists were not only aware of Quranic values but they were also inspired by Quranic idealisms in acquiring scientific knowledge for the benefit of mankind. We have separated religion from science but they aren’t two different philosophies.

The separation of science from religion allowed scientific growth but ignored and devalued the ethical values with no social goals while Quran itself encourages individuals to adopt scientific methods for acquiring knowledge. It inspires mankind search for truth by firm observation. It also inspires for consistent research to analyze facts. It motivates mankind to adopt rational and scientific approach and for this reason Allah has blessed man with intellect, power to observer and debate, and search for truth for the accomplishment of this goal.

Herbert Spencer said, “The accurate education can be practical through the accurate philosophy.” Spencer used the term ‘accurate philosophy’ which indicates the kind education system which offers academic excellence along with strong virtual ethics. This kind of education system would practice accurate education. Instead of having multiple education systems we should have single system of complete education that is a blend of formal education and strong moral ethics and values. Instead of going to either extreme both systems should be merged into one in order to provide complete education.
Modern education system has gained excellence in academic education but lacks the ability to provide equal chance to ethical and spiritual development which is possible only when the system would harmonize with Quranic Philosophy. With a combination of academic excellence and Islamic philosophical teaching this system will not only produce professionals in their specific fields but also practical Muslims.

In current education system Islamic studies should be replaced by Islamic philosophy to provide a practical insight about religion. Arabic language should be introduced as a second language at an appropriate stage. Urdu will remain our language but English should be given higher preference in order to meet international standards of education and for the purpose of communication as well. While keeping the current status of education system in our country, one would take the idea of single system of complete education as impossibility to be implemented but it isn’t as difficult as it seems. People need to have a complete understanding of this system and the positive changes this system can bring in our society.

This system will eliminate inconsistencies from the current education system and will motivate the students to use scientific technology and resources for the benefit of mankind. It will not only excite them to have the spirit to enquire but will make them intellectuals who has the cause to serve humanity. This system will encourage them to have advancement in knowledge in a more meaningful and systematic way. It will provide a balance between modern scientific education and development of society in a positive direction.