Education in Pakistan: Fifty Years of Neglect [with Comments]

Author(s): Akhtar Hasan Khan and Naushin Mahmood

Source: The Pakistan Development Review , Winter 1997, Vol. 36, No. 4, Papers and
Proceedings PART II Thirteenth Annual General Meeting and Conference of the
Pakistan Society of Development Economists Islamabad, December 15-17, 1997 (Winter
1997), pp. 647-667
Published by: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad

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The Pakistan Development Review
36 : 4 Part II (Winter 1997) pp. 647-667

Education in Pakistan: Fifty Years of Neglect

Akhtar Hasan Khan

"You know that importance of education and the right type of education, cannot
be over-emphasised... If we are to make real, speedy and substantial progress, we
must earnestly tackle this question ... having regard to the modem conditions and
vast developments that have taken place all over the world".
Quaid-i-Aiam

Pakistan was created in the name of Islam under the outstanding leadership of
Quaid-i-Azam. The Quran placed great emphasis on education. The Quaid as quoted
above also highlighted its importance for the new nation. Unfortunately, despite high
and repeated rhetoric, education remained the most neglected aspect of national life
during the last half century. The literacy level are low, the female literacy levels are
among the lowest in the world and the lowest in the Muslim countries. The emphasis
in education is still on a general and liberal type of B.A. or M.A. degree. The change
towards scientific and technical education has still not taken place. The quality of
education is low, the teachers are under-paid, under-trained and dispirited. The
students are apathetic as they see no relationship between education and higher
earnings or status in the society.
A few decades ago education was sought for cultural, religious and social
progress. In 1960s, the pioneering work of Schultz and Becker working on the concept
of investment in human capital proved that a high level of education is a necessary
condition for economic growth and no country can make significant economic
progress if majority of its citizens are illiterate. The rapid progress of East Asian
Countries is largely attributed to their excellent system of education.
Despite the exhortation of Quran and the Quaid as well as the international
experience of education promoting rapid economic growth, Pakistan's planners
continued to allocate insufficient resources for education, especially for primary
education. Moreover, the money allocated was not effectively spent. The hostility of
the feudais and the indifference of the educated elite (who educated their children in
English medium schools in Pakistan and sent them abroad for higher education) are
primarily responsible for the neglect of education in Pakistan.
As we are on the threshold of a new millennium, we must turn towards the high
road of education, knowledge, leaning, sciences and technology. We are living in an
age revolution through knowledge. It is only by education at all levels, specially
technical education that Pakistan can enter the privileged club of developed nations.

I. HISTORICAL REVIEW OF RHETORIC

WITHOUT ACTION ON EDUCATION

Over the last fifty years a number of attempts have been made to analyse
educational problems of Pakistan and to devise a proper strategy for followin
advice of the Founder of the Nation. It would be pertinent to briefly describ

Akhtar Hasan Khan recently retired as Secretary, Government of Pakistan.

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648 А к /mir Hasan Khan

aims and purposes which the education policy

Pakistan from time to time have targeted for
almost a dozen educational reports and four m
produced. A chronology of these reports and polici

Report/Policy Year
- All Pakistan Education Conference 1947
- Education Conference 1951
- National Commission on Education 1959
- Education Policy with Nationalisation 1972
National Education Policy 1979
Education Policy

*There have been t

The main areas

basis; (b) natio
economic progr
education; and (
levels.

All-Pakistan Education Conference 1947

The importance of education was fully realised soon after the establishment of
Pakistan. The All Pakistan Education Conference was convened in 1947, at the
behest of Quaid-i-Azam. He provided the basic guidelines for future education
development by stressing, inter-alia, that the system of education should suit the
genius of our people, it should be consonant with our history and culture and instil
the highest sense of honour, integrity, responsibility and selfless service to the
nation. It should also provide scientific and technical knowledge for economic uplift
of the new state. The Conference therefore, made three basic recommendations: (a)
education should be inspired by Islam; (b) free and compulsory elementary
education; and (c) emphasis on technical education.

National Education Conference 1951

The National Education Conference held in 1951, led to the formulation of a

Six Year National Plan for Educational Development by translating various
objectives into physical and financial targets. Nevertheless, it failed to evoke
political commitment and financial resources for achieving its objectives. However,
due to sheet pressure of numbers arising out of influx of displaced persons from
India, there was substantial expansion in enrolments at all levels during the period
1947-55 and increase in overall expenditure. This expansion proceeded at the cost of

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 Education in Pakistan 649

quality as over half of school teachers were untr

equipment highly depleted. The deluge of num
education system to expand at the cost of quality
independent Pakistan. There pre-independenc
underwent no structural change and was in fact furt

National Commission on Education 1959

The Ayub era saw high-level commissions to examine and guide all walks of
life. Education being a very important aspect of national development received
priority during this period. The National Commission on Education dealt
comprehensively with the system of education and made recommendations to
emphasise (a) character development through compulsory religious instructions, (b)
compulsory schooling for age group 6-1 1 within 10 years and for 1 1-14 within 15
years (c) diversification of curricula to introduce technical/vocational subjects in
secondary stages and enhancement of middle level technical (poly-technical)
education (d) extension of degree programmes at the Bachelor's level from 2 to 3
years. The Commission's recommendations were incorporated in the Second Five-
Year Plan (1960-65) which provided enhanced allocations to education as a whole
and specially for primary and technical education. Quantitatively, the Plan was an
exceptional success, as its implementation was upto 96 percent of planned
investments. Nevertheless, the targets for primary education and technical education
were still far from fulfilment. Qualitatively, curriculum revisions were made to
emphasise ideology and modern concepts in sciences and technical subjects, yet
these were introduced without adequate preparations and failed to give the desired
results. The recommendation to prolong the BA/B.Sc. studies by another one year
triggered students unrest and vitiated the whole report of the Commission. Another
Commission was appointed in 1964, to look into the problems of students,
manifested by the growth of student indiscipline and rapid deterioration of
educational standards.
This Commission stressed the role of education in creating unity and the idea
of nationhood among the people of Pakistan and inculcating the moral and spiritual
values of Islam. This combined with the freedom, integrity and strength of Pakistan
should be the ideology which inspire our educational system. The Commission
rightly emphasised that education is a public investment which should be used as a
vehicle to create a welfare state whose foremost objectives should be to constantly
improve the standard of living of the common people.

Education Policy and Nationalisation 1972

The national objectives were identified as: (a) equalising the opportunities for
education; (b) arresting the declining educational standards; and (c) correcting the

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650 A kli ta r Hasan Khan

growing imbalance between various types of educ

accompanied by broad-based guidelines which wer
which the Provincial Government and non-gove
detailed plans and programmes. The role of the M
that adequate and effective programmes are devel
educational goals and targets at the desired pla
continuous study and evaluation.
The strategy used in developing the goals
education should be inspired by the nation's ideolo
(b) education should be dictated by universal struc
concepts of human progress.
From the goals so designed, the roles assigned

(i) the role of education in the preservatio

values as an instrument of national unity and
(ii) reorientation of educational programmes i
of the society particularly by shifting
technical and vocational education;
(iii) role of education as an instrument of so
and as a factor in the creation of a democra
an equal access to opportunities of education
(iv) the paramount importance of quality in ed
teachers in the improvement of educational
(v) decentralisation of educational adminis
freedom and administration and financi
healthier and efficient growth of education
those of higher education.

All these objectives and lofty goals remained e

change made by the Pakistan People's Party (PP
private educational institutions. This was a retrog
the excellent private educational institutions run
missionaries and Pakistani NGOs like the Anju
standard in privately run institutions was gene
institutions. Moreover, these institutions were self
very effective way the inadequate Governments ef
decisions was taken without any consultation w
political grounds. When the adverse impact of thi
Education Minister he frankly stated that this step
grounds as we expect the entire staff of the nation
PPP faction in the field of education. It is tragic t
like Mr Bhutto sacrificed long term national inte

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 Education in Pakistan 65 1

institutions in the private sector for petty political con

of Mr Bhutto these institutions were denationalised in S
are still rotting under government control in Punjab. F
Lahore, and others, have been ruined by this ill-conceived
educational institutions. Mr Bhutto and the PPP should
socialist parties in Europe, none of which took this retr
private schools operated freely under different socialis
nationalisation policy also proved to be very expensiv
expense of private schools was picked up by the gover
expenditure on education doubled without any increas
decline in quality of education in former private schools.

National Education Policy 1979

With the change of government in 1977, a Nation
was convened by the President in October 1977 f
recommendations for a new education policy. The pol
The major aims of this policy again focused on
loyalty to Islam, creating awareness that a Pakista
Muslim Ummah, inculcation of character in accord
providing equal opportunities to all citizens for cultu
development of creative and innovative faculties of p
citizens, fostering discipline and promotion of scientif
needed for socio-economic growth. To achieve thes
envisaged:

(i) Curricular revisions with a view to reorganisin

Islamic thought,
(ii) Possibility of merging the traditional Madrassa
education.
(iii) Use of National Language as medium of instruction,
(iv) Training for productive work.
(v) Mobilisation of community resource such as mosques, civic buildings
factories etc. for education purposes; effective participation of community
in literacy/education programme.
(vi) Linking scientific and technical education with production,
(vii) More emphasis on quality improvement and consolidation and opening
new institutions only where demand is reasonable.
(viii) Separate educational institutions for female students upto highest level
with specially designed curricula.

The objective of this policy were partly implemented as indicated below:

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 652 А к h tar Hasan Khan

(i) Integrated curriculum was introduced.

(ii) The medium of instruction reverted to
(iii) Secular subjects were introduced in the
(iv) Mosques were used as part of formal pr
(v) Literacy Ordinances were introduced bu
(vi) The non-formal approach to primar
Schools did not achieve its objectives.
(vii) The Federal Government took over
universities all over Pakistan on the u
Government will reallocate the saved r
primary education.

National Education Policy 1992

The reform proposed in the 1992 policy
following major changes:

(i) Structuring the society as dictated by te

(ii) Universalising primary education, elimin
(iii) Raising the literacy ratio to 70 percent
(iv) Improving the quality of education by r
teaching running process by modernising
(v) Use of community for the promotion of
(vi) Intensifying vocationalisation of gener
stream of technical education in middl
private sector for participation in educat
progressive privatisation of nationalised in
(vii) Initiating procedures leading to d
enforcement of discipline.
(viii) Streamlining the examination system
valid admission procedures to be devised

This policy also could not achieve the d

political instability, resource constrains and
makers. However the following are the maj
policy:

1. Establishment of School Management Committee at the lowest

administrative unit for the promotion of basic education.
2. Establishment of quality Model Primary School at the Union Council
Level so as to provide quality education to the rural female children.
3. The concept of mixed Primary School was introduced in provinces.

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 Educa ti (Ш in Pakistan 653

4. The qualifications of the teachers have been lo

female population towards the teaching profess
5. Literacy Programme in selected areas of Paki
enhance the literacy rate the country.
6. Nation-wide teachers competition were hel
Primary School Teachers at the national level. I
7. The examination method was changed by givi
to multiple choice questions at secondary and h
8. During this period the Supreme Court gave an
the students unions in the university campuse
give certificate of good behaviour for their ch
universities.

II. THE COST OF NEGLECTING EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

The importance of education in different walks of life has been emphasised

Aristotle and Plato. Human development in culture, science, social life, commu
harmony, social cohesion, political participation and overall refinement of hum
personality are promoted and enhanced by good and effective education. The prog
any civilisation has depended upon its educated classes. Recent strides in h
knowledge have highlighted the importance of education in economic growth.
universal recognition became part of accepted economics in 1960s when Theodo
Schultz and Gary Becker, both Nobel Laureates of the Chicago School enunciate
concept of human capital. Schultz provided the theoretical under-pinning and Be
calculated the rates of return on human capital and proved that investment in h
capital has higher return than investment in physical capital in many situations. The
1 indicates the rate of return to investment in different sectors of the economy calc
by the World Bank in 1994 in their cross-section study.

Table 1

Rates of Return of Investments in Different Sectors of the Economy

Items

Education Investment
Primary 20
Secondary 1 4
Higher 1 1
World Bank Projec
Agriculture 14 II
Industry 15 12
Infrastructure 18 16

All Projects

Source: Psach

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654 Akhtar Hasan Khan

This clearly shows that investment in prim

the economy than investment in any physic
infrastructure. Hence, if it investments were m
of return then primary education should ha
development plans of Pakistan. This concept
economic literature in 1960s and all our lead
Plans fully knew the importance of human ca
which will be attempted later, they continuo
literacy rate is hardly 20 percent whereas La
Lecture on 'Investing in All the People' has ca
in Pakistan as shown in Table 2.

He has calculated that by incurring a recurrent cost of one year of education for
1 ,000 women the expenditure is US$ 30,000 whereas the benefits are $88,000. There
can be no other development expenditure with a higher benefit in relation to cost. The
benefit cost ratio of these health and fertility externalities in Pakistan has been estimated
about 3:1. Despite this clear calculation we continue to ignore female education and the
disparity between male and female education in Pakistan is about the highest in the
world.

Table 2

The Externalities of Investing in Girls' Education, Pakistan

Cost or Benefit

Items Calculation (U.S. Dollars)

Recurrent Cost of One Year of Education for 30,000
1,000 Women
Benefits

Reduction in Chile Mortality

Total Deaths Averted 60
Set Cost (U.S. Dollars) 800
Value of Averted Deaths 48,500
Reduction in Fertility
Births Averted 500
Set Cost (U.S. Dollars) 65
Value of Births Averted 32,500
Reduction in Maternal Mortality
Total Material Deaths Averted 3
Set Cost (U.S. Dollars) 2,500
Value of Averted Maternal Deaths
Source: [Summers (1992)].

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 Education in Pakistan 655

Secondly, he stated that under investment

consequence of poverty, nor is it made necessary by
is an economic problem that results from a vicious
The expectation that girls will grow to do little oth
parent's incentive to invest in their daughter's hum
have few alternatives and so that expectation become
a continuous circle of neglect.
Thirdly, increasing educational opportunities for
cutting into this vicious cycle. As an economic inve
educating girls may well yield the highest retu
developing countries considering both private ben
members.

Fourth, experience suggests that female educa

inexpensive compared to other development inve
female enrolment rates.

Fifthly, major initiative to increase female ed

transform society over time. If a larger fraction of
ago millions of infant deaths each year could have
families could have been healthier and happier. Ye
only 20 percent.
Birdsall, Ross, and Sabot (1993) show that e
social as well as economic benefits, e.g. the lo
acceptance of family planning, and better health
educated mothers and that gains in income gr
lost overall development. He argued that subst
Pakistan due to low investments in schooling o
could be potential increase in current per cap
Pakistan had Indonesia's 1960 primary school e
increase of 16 percent had Pakistan sent as many
in 1960.

Educational investments matter not only for increasing income. Across

developing countries, these investments are associated with lower infant mortality,
lower-fertility and other social benefits; these social benefits are particularly
associated with women's education. In East Asian economics, education is also
associated with improvements over time in the equality of income across households.
These other benefits-social and distributional are as central a part of the development
process as income gains. If we had not neglected, education, not only the quality or
life in Pakistan would have been much better with lower crime, less sectarianism, but
every Pakistani would be enjoying a much higher standard of living. Our per capita
income would be around $10,000 instead of being less than $500.

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656 Akhtar Hasan Khan

III. THE PRESENT STATE OF EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

AS COMPARED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

The deplorable present state of education in Pakistan is a direct res

education not receiving national priority in any regime during the last half cen
in any development plan out of the eight Five Year Plans which have b
implemented so far. Any thing for which resource are not allocated and whi
not receive the attention of the rulers is bound to languish. Although every
regime formulated its own educational policy but none of them implemented
with any seriousness. The problems and the solutions, which were obviou
repeated from one education policy to another but none of them received att
The Tables 3 and 4 indicate the expenditure on primary education in differen
Year Plans.

The above table clearly indicates that the allocations for primary education till
the Fourth Five-Year Plan were highly inadequate and it is only in the last Four Five-
Year Plans that the allocations for primary education have increased. Allocation
aside, the percentage of utilisation has been extremely poor in all the five year plan
except in the fourth plan and seventh plan. Hence, not only inadequate funds were
provided for primary education but whatever was provided was utilised only to the
extent of half on the average.

Table 3

Expenditure on Primary Education

(Rs in millions)

Primary Primary
Education Education Education Education Actual Percent Age
Plan Period %ofGNP Allocation Allocation Expenditure of Utilisation

1st Plan (1955-60) 0.88 296 52 23 48

2nd Plan (1960-65) 1.55 527 78 19 24

3rd Plan (1965-70) 1.38 677 69 26 38

4th Plan (1970-78) 1.53 3665 473 444 94

5th Plan (1978-83) 1.5 5643 3048 1413 46

6lh Plan (1983-88) 2.1 13430 7000 3172 45

7th Plan (1988-83) 2.16 22680 10128 11766 116

8th Plan (1993-98) 2.2 69010 32669

Source: Government of Pakistan (Various Issues).

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 Education in Pakistan 657

Table 4

Expenditure on Primary Education

(Rs in millions)

Expenditure on
Literacy Rate 1 995 Education as % of GNP
Sr. No. Country

1. Pakistan 37.2 2.44

2. Bangladesh 37.8 2.3

2 India 51.6 3.7

4. Sri Lanka 90.3 3.3

5. Egypt 51.2 N.A

6. China 81.3 N.A.

7. Iran 80.0 5.4

8. Thailand 80.0 4.0

9. Indonesia 83.8 4.2

10. Nigeria 57.3 N.A

11. Mexico 89.6

12. Brazil

Source: Adult

The obvious
among Musl
out of 186 c
literacy rate
Table 4 clea
the 9 most
SAARC regi
income in p
specially in
October 19
universally
Conference
target has
Primary Ed

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658 Akhtar Hasan Khan

70 percent in the same duration. According t

For All made at Jomtien, Thailand in March
Nine High Population Countries made at D
committed to achieve the following, by the y

1. Universalisation of Primary Education.

2. Double the literacy rate vis-à-vis of 199

It would be a miracle if these targets are a

programme of 2010. They are more likely to
priority, increase allocations, improve utilisa
raise the competency of teachers by appropr
rate substantially, involve the community
evaluation system through decentralised m
schools but more important then all these
education specially for providing basic educat
has been guaranteed to him in the Constitutio
to primary education is one of the fundamenta
1973 but Pakistanis remained deprived of it ev

Higher Education
The general criticism of Pakistan education
been allocated to higher education which cate
that age group as compared to primary edu
population of that age group. Despite our hig
institutions of higher learning still remains th

Table 5

Comparative Higher Education Data for some Asian Countries

Number of Students at Higher Percentage of Students Enrolled in
Education Level per Million Higher Education of the Relevant
Country

Republic of Korea 4253 42.4% (1992)

Philippines 2696 26.2% (1993)
Japan 2340 30.4% (1991)
Hong Kong 1540 20.7% (1992)
Indonesia 1045 10.2% (1992)
Singapore 963(1980) 7.8% (1980)
India 755(1990) 9.3% (1990)
Malaysia 679 7.2% (1990)
Pakistan

Sources: 1 .
2. UNESCO
3. Human D
4. World Ba

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 Education in Pakistan 659

The table clearly shows that Pakistan has ve

population enrolled in higher education. Moreover
and Master's examinations is never more than 40 p
is the quality of higher education in Pakistan whic
ratio of students going for higher education b
respectively whereas in developed countries it is r
The Ph.D. or the research programmes of the u
Annually we turn out less than 50 Ph.D. s from
Pakistan. When the present cohort of teachers in
trained abroad at government expense retire, the
Ph.D. s to take their place.
The encouraging sign in the field of higher ed
prestigious private sector universities like the
Karachi, the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of T
University of Management Sciences at Lahore. W
basic sciences in our universities, but so far only
Karachi University has been able to get internatio
The most disturbing development in the field
mushrooms growth of private universities affilia
universities, working from a single home and
subjects. The government needs to have a regu
affiliation and monitoring their academic standard

Technical Education

In the last 50 years every educationist has recognised that Pakistan's system is
still pursuing Macualay's emphasis on producing generalists with working
knowledge of languages to be efficient clerks or subordinate government servants
required for the colonial power. Although some progress has been made in
establishing about hundred middle level polytechnics across the country and setting
up twelve new engineering college during the last 50 years but the amounts allocated
to technical education has been insufficient and the courses and teaching methods
have not been tailored to the manpower requirements for technicians. We have large
number of unemployed engineers but serious shortage of middle level technicians.
Similarly, in the medical field we have surfeit of doctors but serious deficiency of
nurses. The doctor nurse ratio should normally be 1 :3 but in case of Pakistan doctors
out number nurses by a large margin.
In making international comparison in the Human Development Report of
South Asia (1998, p. 5), Mahbub-ul Haq points out that:

Less than 2 percent of children in the relevant age group at the secondary
school level are enrolling for technical education in South Asia, compared to

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560 Akhtar Hasan Khan

over 10 percent in East Asia. Not only, is en

students drop out before completing their s
in many technical schools are often inapprop
Many graduates of polytechnics and
worthwhile jobs. For instance, approximate
school graduates in India are either une
present. South Asia faces a perplexing d
technically trained people and yet about half

The same is true of Pakistan.

IV. GENDER DISPARITY

Gender Disparity of education at Pakistan at all stages is much higher t

almost all other countries. Pakistan may have the highest gender disparity am
major countries of the world. At the primary school level, the net enrolment
girls is only 35 percent whereas for boys it is 65. Similarly, male literacy in P
is 52 percent whereas female literacy is less than half at 20 percent. Moreove
province of Balochistan the female literacy is about 5 percent and in the NW
not more than 15 percent. The gap in the initial enrolment of boys and girls i
great but the drop-out rate among the females is much higher.
In our earlier chapter we have quoted Summers leading American econom
now under secretary of Treasury in the US, who has stated that the rate of ret
investment on female education is the highest in Pakistan. The old proverb t
you educate a man you educate one person but if you educate a female you ed
the entire family, is also not being followed in Pakistan. The Human Develop
Report of South Asia in 1998 indicates the male and female literacy fig
Muslim Women in India. The Male figure is 44 and the female figure is 40. H
earth do you explain the yawning gap between male and female literacy in P
which is the highest in the World. Muslim of India who are very akin to us ha
a small difference of 4 percent or 10 percent whereas we have a hundred per
difference. This is the far, the most important question for social scien
Pakistan and biggest hindrance to national development, growth, family plan
inculcation of proper value among children and above all the biggest obstacle
facets of national progress.

V. PROGRESS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION UNDER

THE SAP PROGRAMME

The disparity between economic growth and abysmally low human

development indicators had become glaring in case of Pakistan. In this background
the Government of Pakistan along with foreign donors launched a multi-sectoral
Social Action Programme (SAP) in 1993-94 and later on included in the 8th Five

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 Education in Pakistan 66 1

Year Plan. The SAP-I was assisted by World

and Dutch Governments. The primary em
education which constituted 2/3rd of the entir
education. The basic objective was to strength
primary education.
The findings of a number of reviews have
impacted on the provision of quality education
shift in the awareness about the importance of
primary beneficiaries of an improved education
girls education, co-education was started in
schools were for girls, which boys could also a
area was co-educational and the second sch
schools increased by 15 percent. The viewpoin
be co-educational, so that access for girls is en
Estimates available by now indicate that 70 per
was of girls mostly living in rural areas. T
increased by over 85,000, half of which were
growth in enrolment was for girls. 4000 scho
were for girls and 2000 were mosque scho
percent of school established were for girls. I
age were relaxed for recruitment of female tea
The enrolment at primary school level
million of boys and 3.08 million for girls in th
1992-93 level. Consistent with the increas
participation rate increased from 68.9 percent
with male participation rate going up from 8
53.7 percent to 57 percent. This impacted adu
35.4 percent in 1992-93 to 37.9 percent in 199
up from 47.3 percent to 50 percent and those
percent. Although large number of teachers we
enrolment student- teacher ratio went up from

VI. ADULT LITERACY

Literacy rate is universally calculated for population above 10 years of ag

Pakistan 37 percent of the population over 10 years is literate. However, popu
between 10 to 18 which is about 18 percent of the total population is about 50 p
literate due to sharp increase in enrolment rate in recent years. But population
years which half the total population is less than 30 percent literate. It is this ocean
to 50 million illiterates, aged over 18 years in a total population of 130 million w
not receiving attention from lack of any Government policy on adult education at p
because there is no ongoing programme of adult literacy.

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 662 Akhtar Hasan Khan

Historically adult literacy has received

years. During the Ayub era, it was made
programme of Village AID. During the Z
Commission (LAMEC) was set-up which s
schools. Adult literacy schools were establish
Rs 1000 was given for converting an illi
Moreover, under the philosophy of each one
students passing Intermediate Examination to
Nai Roshni Programme had a mixed success,
Bhutto regime. After this there has been no
Prime Minster's Literacy Commission whi
concentrating on opening non-formal primar
order to capture those children who failed to
schools at their appropriate age.
Literacy has been increasing in Pakistan a
because with the population increase is 2.6 p
not exceeding 3 percent. The target of raisi
implies increasing the annual growth rate in
annum. This can never be achieved unless
adult literacy programme. International exp
have rapidly increased their literacy level hav
education combined with strong and effecti
literacy rate will remain under 50 percent u
our adults over 18.

VIL REASONS FOR NEGLECT

There is a need to find a plausible explanation for Pakistan's very

performance in the field of Education as compared to other East Asian count
even amongst S A ARC countries with the possible exception of Nepa
Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and the emphasis which Hol
places on education is not found in the holy books of other religions.
injunctions of "Allah increase my knowledge"- "Read in the name of thy Lo
crated", etc,, have been totally ignored. Secondly, at the theoretical le
importance of education and the acceptance of human capital as the most im
form of capital (by Becker and Shultz in 1960's) was not unknown to the pl
and policy framers in Pakistan. All educational policies and Commissi
emphasised primary education. Thirdly, there is provision in the present Con
wherein the provision of free and compulsory primary education is on
principal responsibilities of the State. Why is it that despite all thes
education has been kept at the stage of rhetoric and no practical measures we
to provide primary education to every Pakistani child during last five decade

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 Education in Pakistan 663

Professor Weiner and Noman explained in

education in India (which is far better than of P
which makes it incumbent that the children of lower classes should learn to work
with their hands and not with their heads and the education should therefore
reinforce rather than break down the caste distinction. The Indians believe that one
group of people are meant to be educated and the rest remain illiterate in order to
serve them. Fortunately, there is no caste system in Pakistan. However, we have very
feudalistic structure of the society which provides the same impediment as the caste
system. The feudais correctly argue from their selfish point of view that if the
children of the poor get educated then their superior status in the society will be
diluted and they will not be able to dominate them as they can do at present.
Therefore, the feudalistic political and social structure has been the biggest hindrance
in the growth of basic education in our country.
Feudais alone cannot be blamed for low rate of literacy because for almost 25-
years we were under Martial Law when feudais neither implemented nor framed
policies. During this long period of Ayub and Zia, Pakistan was ruled by civil and
military bureaucracy but in both these two decades there was no desire to implement
the injunction of Islam on education or to implement constitutional provisions on this
subject or to realise that without better education no nation has over achieved
sustained economic growth and development.
The feudais cannot be blamed for low level of allocation for education in the
Five Year Plans. Iqra surcharge of 5 percent on all imports was introduced with great
fanfare and Rs 8 billion were collected each year for a decade on the pretext of
providing more resources for education, but the proposed measure failed to provide
in the Finance Bill that it will be utilised for education only. Instead of putting all
this money in the Educational Trust fund, it was put in Federal Consolidated Fund
and spent mostly on Defence, Debt-servicing and civil administration. The hypocrisy
with which a Quranic word was used for taxing poor people for education and using
it for buying guns was culpable. Therefore, instead of implementing the injunction of
Quran, we use its word in order to cheat and beguile the people. The civil and
military bureaucracy as well as the boffins of the Planning Commission during the
period when they were ruling the country also did nothing for spreading primary
education during half of Pakistan's history.
Moreover, there is no formal caste system in Pakistan, but a caste system
determined by children studying in English- and Urdu-medium schools has emerged.
Students from English-medium schools consider themselves superior, get prize jobs
in commercial and industrial sectors, and do better in CSS Examinations, which are
conducted in English. Students of Urdu-medium schools are meant to be Macaulay's
clerks. The children of policy-makers and the élite go to English-medium (mostly
private) schools, and hence they are totally indifferent to the plight of Urdu-medium
schools. The selfish indifference of the non-feudal élite towards the state of
education is almost criminal.

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564 Aklitar Hasan Khan

The elite of Pakistan, which lacks noblesse

of other countries is selfish, safarishi and c
education. The children of elite go to English M
Hall etc. and they do not bother at all whether
any education and even if they receive educati
poor. Their education policy is very clear: get
in 'Pakistan and send them abroad. The education for the rest which is in Urdu and

other regional languages can languish at low level.

There was no let up in the neglect of education in Pakistan during the last half
century. Adequate resources were never allocated for education. The safarish and
corruption in educational system continued to increase. Most governments even
failed to appoint literate Education Ministers both in the Provinces and at the Federal
level. Education was never considered to be important for our national development.
The emphasis was on infrastructure, like Dams, Bridges, Roads, Highways,
industries and Agriculture but education along with other social sectors never
received priority.
Half century of neglect of this most vital sector of education has now created
problems which were bound to occur as the international experience is that no nation
can achieve sustained economic growth without education. Due to lack of literacy,
Pakistan's yield per acre yield in most of major crops is half of international average
level. The Indian Punjab's yield per acre of wheat is almost double of our average.
With educated peasantry we could be more than self sufficient in wheat.
Successive reports of the Public Service Commission have stated thai the
standard of the best people selected for superior services are declining. The quality
of education imparted in our Schools, Colleges and Universities is pathetic. The base
of Science and Technology on which the future of the nation depends is almost non-
existent in Pakistan. If Pakistan had followed the East Asian route to education, we
could have become a Tiger by now but to think of becoming one when only l/3rd of
the people are literate is like dreaming in the clouds. We could also have become like
South Korea whose per capita income in 1960s was same as Pakistan's but is now
$12000 and ours only $440.
Actually, all our ailments including illiteracy can be easily remedied if we
have the motivation and national will, but unfortunately hypocrisy has come to be
our most popular national attitude. We substitute action with rhetoric and think that
by speaking much on education, and lecturing on Iqra we have fulfilled prophet's
injunction on education.
By neglecting education, we have ignored the Quran, the Quaid, and the
quintessence of international experience. Very low literacy in Pakistan has not only
led to poverty, strife, over-population and decay of institutions, and by ignoring
Quranic injunction on education we have become bad Muslims and poor Pakistanis.
Let us take a new turn toward the high road of education, knowledge, learning,

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 Education in Pakistan 665

sciences and technology in the next millennium, be

revolution through knowledge. The Golden Jubilee
other option.

REFERENCES

Myron, Weiner, and Omar Noman (1996) The Child and the State in
Pakistan. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Summers, Laurence H. (1992) Investing in All the People. The Pakistan
Development Review 3 1 :4 367-404.
Birdsall, Nancy, Dvid Ross, and Richard H. Sabot (1993) Underinvestment in
Education: How Much Growth has Pakistan Foregone? The Pakistan
Development Review 32:4 453-499.
Adul Ghafoor (n.d.) Quest for Adult Literacy. Ministry of Education, Islamabad.
Pakistan, Government of (Various Issues) Five-Year Plans. Islamabad: The Planning
Commission.

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Comments

The paramount significance of education in the socio-economic development of

a country is known to all of us. The author has touched on the crucial subject of
education and its neglect in Pakistan as his focus of study. The analysis done points
towards the limited progress achieved in education since the year of Independence, and
the challenges faced for improving the quantity and the quality of education in the years
to come.

The paper, at the outset, gives a detailed description of education polic

formulated in Pakistan at different points in time, and how these policies have fail
be implemented in terms of achieving their objectives and providing basic educatio
all individuals in the country. In this context, several issues and limitations inhere
our education system and social structure, which have persisted over time, have b
brought out. Nevertheless, an important aspect of the subject pertains to finding a
explanation and the strategies to improve upon the dismal state of education in Paki
This has been ignored altogether. In fact, the contents of the paper have raised m
questions than provided answers to the problems and issues existing in Pakistan'
education sector.

Section II of the paper highlights a fact already known: how poorly we have
performed in our educational progress and how the quality of education has deteriorated
at all levels. Tables 1 to 3 given in the paper, which compare the literacy rates and
educational budgets. of Pakistan with some Asian and even the E-9 countries, indicate
clearly the lowest position of Pakistan in this regard. However, the critical question of
what needs to be done to make up for past neglect is not adequately addressed in the
paper.
The author has very rightly pointed out that Pakistan has foregone substantial
economic growth and social progress due to low investment in education over the last
three decades; and then a number of factors which have continued to afflict the
development of education are mentioned, including the paucity and underutilisation of
funds, high population growth rate, low political commitment, teacher incompetence,
low quality of education, etc. I understand that all such factors and reasons for past
neglect of education have been mentioned and discussed in a number of studies done in
Pakistan already. What is lacking at this point is an in-depth analysis of the factors
attributed to the neglect of education sector and finding some concrete answers to deal
with the persistence of issues hindering the progress in education.
In this regard, it would be useful to see which education policies have been
adopted in other Asian countries and how they have been successfully implemented to

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 Comments 667

develop this sector. A simple co

those of other countries would se
the targets are not explored. Fo
been placed squarely on univers
largely self-financed university
Thailand, and Malaysia all devote
education as against the 40 pe
education policies and their ach
provide a more meaningful basi
relevant answers to deal with the
While analysing the reasons f
feudalistic political and social str
education. It would be more plaus
or empirical evidence existing in
The issues of educational in
opportunities by class and ge
mismanagement and corruption,
casual manner. I think such issu
education and should be analysed
issues with no hard facts or data
The author is also critical of
English-medium or private schoo
the rest of the population. Is it to
least 40 percent to the basic edu
What about the recent efforts of
and increasing its involvement
critical assessment of the contri
should be reformed to become a p
I would like to conclude by say
problems and issues in the countr
depth analysis of these issues. The
vith no solid evidence to unveil t
of various policies, it would hav
guidelines and suggestions for fut

Naushin Mahmood

Pakistan Institute of Developmen

Islamabad.

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