Education

The education system in Pakistan is in the throes of severe crisis. Numerous problems have resulted from the weakness in the education system in Pakistan, which have jeopardized the fate of the nation.

At present, the biggest problem that is aggravating many issues in our society is unbridled growth in population. Population is rising copiously day by day and birth rate is far greater than the death rate.

Why increasing population is a glaring problem in our society?

The answer may seem strange to some but it is true that lack of education is provoking early marriages, ergo more births. In most of the families, it has become a norm to prefer a son over a daughter. However, Islam doesn’t allow this difference. With a strong desire to have a son, parents are having more children and it, in turn, adds to the growing population. Moreover, in rural areas, fathers want their sons to help them at their work; on farms and caring animals. This practice leaves hundreds of thousands of youngsters without education.

Early marriages increase the span of reproductive health. In villages, most people marry their girls between the ages of 16 and 19 years. Their youthful days are wasted in doing household chores and giving birth to children.

We also see people scuffling on roads during traffic jams or on minor issues like touching of a vehicle to another one. This is due to “impatience”.  Everyone wants to reach their destination before others. In these traffic jams—which last many hours—accidents and severe skirmishes are frequently seen.

On international level, Pakistan is considered a poor and underdeveloped country. It is lagging behind other nations only due to lack of education. We have read in history books that when our rulers, like Mughals, were busy in pleasure-seeking and building mightiest of forts, the British were building research institutes and universities.

Another significant factor plaguing the education sector is radicalisation on campuses, which discourages critical thinking and also causes poor quality of teachers and the unavailability of jobs for students in universities. All of these are interlinked and once again point towards low funding, which gives birth to these problems.

Weakness in the education system creates social polarization and frustration among the nation; snatching away the wisdom of thinking. On the other hand, democracy ensures the atmosphere for national integration; elevating the national dignity. When quality education is not in access to everyone in a society, a trust deficit a rises among people, which weakens their ability to work cooperatively. A lack of opportunities further provokes resentment. This brings instability in a country, which weakens democracy and curbs human rights of which education is one.