SHOUKAT LOHAR

Education plays a crucial role in shaping the future of societies and individuals. However, in recent years, the public education system in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh Province, has faced significant challenges leading to its deterioration. Let’s explore the reasons behind the decline of public education in Pakistan and specifically in Sindh, highlighting the subsequent rise of private schools that prioritize profit over quality education, and commoditized the education.

Dysfunction in Public Education

The public education system in Pakistan, including Sindh Province, has been plagued by numerous challenges. These challenges include inadequate infrastructure, a lack of trained teachers, low budget allocations, corruption, and outdated curricula. Insufficient funding and mismanagement have resulted in crumbling school buildings, poorly equipped classrooms, and a scarcity of teaching materials. As a consequence, the quality of education has suffered, leading to a decline in enrollment rates in public schools.

Mushroom Growth of Private Schools

The dysfunctional public education in Pakistan has opened the door for the rapid proliferation of private schools. Seeking better educational opportunities, parents have turned to private schools, resulting in a significant increase in their numbers. Unfortunately, many of these private schools are nothing more than two-roomed houses masquerading as English medium institutions. Desperate for employment, untrained individuals are employed as teachers, compromising the quality of education offered to students.

Profit-Driven Approach

One of the primary factors contributing to the commodification of education in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh Province, is the profit-driven approach of private schools. Instead of focusing on providing quality education, these institutions prioritize financial gains. Due to the lack of regulations and oversight, many private schools exploit parents by charging exorbitant fees and additional costs for uniforms, books, and stationary. This places an unfair burden on families, further exacerbating social inequality.

Neglected Infrastructure and Plagiarized Standards

While the public education system suffers from dilapidated infrastructure, private schools are not immune to criticism. Many private schools in Sindh lack proper facilities, including libraries, laboratories, and playgrounds. Moreover, some private schools resort to plagiarism, copying curricula, and teaching materials from established educational institutions. This results in a lack of innovation and creativity in the learning process, hindering students’ intellectual growth.

Addressing the Issue

To reverse the commodification of education and improve the public education system in Pakistan, a multi-faceted approach is required. The government must allocate a higher budget to education, ensuring funds are efficiently utilized to improve infrastructure, train teachers, and develop updated curricula. Strict regulations should be enacted to monitor private schools, ensuring they meet the necessary standards of education and affordability. Additionally, efforts should be made to enhance public awareness about the importance of quality education and the role of public schools in fostering societal development.

Conclusion

The decline of public education in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh Province, has paved the way for the commodification of education. Dysfunctional public schools have resulted in the mushroom growth of profit-driven private institutions, compromising the quality of education and burdening parents with excessive fees. Addressing this issue requires comprehensive reforms, including increased funding, improved infrastructure, teacher training, and enhanced regulations. By prioritizing quality education over profit, Pakistan can restore public schools’ significance and ensure equal access to education for all.

________________

Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk

The post Education for Sale first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Karachi: Sindh government has outsourced operational management of 32 public sector schools, including 13 schools built with USAID funding, to the private sector parties.

Thirteen USAID-funded schools were constructed under USAID’s Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP).

The agreements-signing ceremony between Sindh Government and Education Management Organizations (EMOs) was held here at CM House on Monday.

Secretary School Education Akbar Laghari and office bearers from three successful EMOs – Sindh Madressah-tul-Islam Board (SMB), Dar-e-Arqam Schools (Pvt.) Ltd. and MDZed (Pvt.) Ltd – signed the agreements to manage these schools for a period of 10 years.

Under these agreements, SMB will manage four newly constructed USAID schools and 10 other select Sindh government Schools in Malir and West districts of Karachi. The Dare-e-Arqam Schools (Pvt.) Ltd. will manage four newly constructed schools and four grouped schools in district Qambar Shahdadkot, and MDZed (Pvt.) Ltd. will manage five newly constructed schools and five other Sindh government schools in districts Kashmore and Jacobabad.

The ceremony was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah, United States Consul General Mr. Mark Stroh, and other officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sindh Basic Education Program.

The U.S. Government through USAID is contributing $159.2 million for the SBEP whereas the Sindh government is also providing $10 million cost share for the same. The project aims at increasing and sustaining the enrolment of young students by developing learning environment in Sindh government’s schools in select areas of the province, with a special focus on bringing girls back to the schools who have dropped out of schools.

In addition to constructing schools, SBEP also strengthens the Government’s broader Sindh Education Reform Program by supporting provincial government’s policy of consolidating, merging and  upgrading schools in target districts, strengthening community engagement, fostering public-private partnerships and improving reading competencies of young students.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressing his sincere appreciation for the continued support of the U.S. government in modernizing education in the province acknowledged that the Sindh Basic Education Program me (SBEP) has been a successful initiative which is breaking new grounds and setting new standards.

“The Sindh Basic Education Program is helping to improve quality of the teaching & learning process and is increasing equitable access to safe learning opportunities for children, especially the girls”, said US Consul General, Mr. Mark Stroh while addressing the audience during the event. He also reaffirmed the U.S. Government’s commitment to support key facets of basic education in Pakistan.

USAID’s SBEP supports the reconstruction of 106 Sindh government schools affected by the catastrophic 2010 floods. These 106 state-of-the-art school buildings are being reconstructed in seven districts of Northern Sindh (Dadu, Jacobabad, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, and Sukkur) and three selected districts of Karachi Division (Malir, West and South). The reconstructed schools along with a group of other Government schools are being handed over to the EMOs for improved operational efficiency.

With the signing of these concession agreements, the operational management of 81 SBEP-USAID reconstructed schools along with a group of 90 select government schools stands outsourced to 10 EMOs. The construction of the remaining 25 schools is in process and is at different stages of completion. (PR)

_______________________

The post Sindh govt. hands over 32 more schools to private sector first appeared on Sindh Courier.