Education Problems in Pakistan — Post-COVID-19
When the world became aware of the threat of COVID-19, many countries went into lockdown. This meant the closure of businesses, educational institutes, restaurants, parks, and basically all outdoor activities. Pakistan was among the first countries that went into lockdown after gauging the threat of COVID-19. The closure of educational institutes lasted almost 10 months. While these closures have been useful in promoting social distancing, they had dangerous outcomes for Pakistani education and learning. Many private schools and universities shifted their learning to online mediums whereas the government introduced a telly school for government schools. However, it is not wrong to say for 10 months of the closure of educational institutes, there was no actual learning happening for the majority of Pakistani children. Education was not accessible to all or a priority for all.
Pakistan has the second-worst literacy rates in the world with more than 40 percent of children out of school. The government has failed to make the masses realize the importance of Education. It is seen more like a chore or duty and not as an opportunity necessary for well-being. Even in students that attend these schools, there is disparity. Learning is not equal as fewer than 20 percent of Pakistani third-graders can actually read and comprehend a small passage. Now fast forward February 2021, schools have re-opened and education is fast-paced. Six school days and some institutes are even taking exams. The educational institutes are striving to make up for the lost time.
It is not wrong saying Pakistan also has one of the worst mental-health statistics. In such a social environment, where families struggle with financial, cultural, health, and other pressures, it has to be noticed that children coming from different households, having spent their 10 months locked down, must have gone through a lot for their age. And now these children are being burdened with exams and completing the syllabus.
The problem? Learning is not happening or is not equal. Schools have made getting done with syllabus and exams a chore instead of inspiring children to actually learn. The education system is disregarding the time children spent at home, the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of children, the gap in learning, and the divide in children coming from different households.
The solution? It is high time that Pakistani educational institutes are gentle with the children. They need to focus on learning and understanding instead of making children finish the syllabus through rote memorization. It is wrong putting children straight into exams with re-opening of schools. The mental impact of all this ordeal on students can not be gauged. With the present unprecedented challenges, schools must evolve the way they teach by focusing on understanding and developing the thinking abilities of children.
Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it.-William Haley
