Literature review

Definition of social issues

A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society's
perception of people's personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions and what may
be "normal" behavior in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social
issues are distinguished from economic issues. There are also issues that don't fall into either
category, such as wars. Social issues are matters that can be explained only by factors outside an
individual's control and immediate social environment which affect many individuals in a
society. A social problem is an aspect of society that people are concerned about and would like
change. Social problems begin with an objective condition, some aspect of society that can be
measured or experienced.... The second key element of a social problem is subjective concern,
the concern that a significant number of people have about the condition (James M.
Henslin, Social Problems 2003, p. 3).

According to Lundberg, “A social problem is any deviant behavior in a disapproved direction of

such a degree that it exceeds the tolerance limit of the community”. It may also be defined as a
condition, which effects large number of people in an adverse manner. It can also be said as a
difficulty of misbehavior which vast majority wants to correct. Social problem also arises when
there is deviation from accepted social norms. These are usually threats to establish social ways
and therefore, it is necessary to eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Common social issues include poverty, violence, justice, human rights, equality (or
discrimination), and crime, and usually revolve around conflicting viewpoints and tensions
between people who take different stances. It can also be called a community problem because it
is known to concern a community of people.

According to Eitzen the basic needs of human beings are shelter, sustenance, security, group
support, esteem, respect and self-actualization. When these needs are not met, individuals will be
hostile toward society and its norms (Eitzen et al. 2009:12). The frustration will be expressed in
withdrawal, alcohol and other drugs, the violence of crime, terrorism, and aggression.

Social issues in world

Personal issues versus social issues

Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their
peers and relationships. On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread
society. For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a
social issue.
The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective; however, when a large
enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person
fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired are likely to generate
social issues.

Social disorganization
In sociology, the Social disorganization theory was one of the most important theories developed
by the Chicago School, related to ecological theories. Social disorganization theory: linking
(directly) low crime rates to neighborhood ecological characteristics, youths from disadvantaged
neighborhoods were participants in a subculture in which delinquency was approved behavior
and that criminality was acquired in social and cultural settings through a process of interaction.
A core principle of social disorganization theory is that place matters—i.e., one's residential
location—as much or more than one's individual characteristics (age, gender, race) in shaping the
likelihood that a person will become involved in illegal activities. Larry Gaines and Roger
Miller state in their book, Criminal Justice in Action, that "...crime is largely a product of
unfavorable conditions in certain communities." According to the Social Disorganization Theory
there are ecological factors that lead to high rates of crime in these communities, and these
factors linked to constantly elevated levels of "high school dropouts, unemployment,
deteriorating infrastructures, and single-parent homes" (Gaines and Miller).The theory is not
intended to apply to all types of crime, but instead to street crime at the neighborhood level. The
theory has not been used to explain organized crime, corporate crime, or deviant behavior that
takes place outside neighborhood settings. Up to the beginning of seventies, this theory took a
back seat to the psychological explanation of crime. A recent overview of social disorganization
theory, including suggestions for refining and extending the theory, is a journal article by Kubrin
and Weitzer (2003).

Education and public schools

Educational inequality
Educational inequality is the disparity that certain students experience in their education as
compared to other students. The measures of educational success focus on grades, test scores,
drop-out rates, college entrance numbers, and college completion rates. A variety of research
links the inequality to socioeconomic, racial, and geographic reasons. This concept does not exist
in the United States alone, but this article focuses on the educational inequality in America.
Compared to other nations the United States invests the most in education, yet achieves lower
levels of student performance than many countries that financially invest much less. The per-
pupil spending has even increased in recent years but the academic achievement of students has
remained stagnant.
It is important to acknowledge that educational inequality is greatly determined by economic,
and thus racial, lines. In the United States, segregation is more than race because it is inseparable
from socioeconomic status, residential location, and, more recently, by language. Skin color is
linked to other forms of inequality, which is evident in education. Educational inequality
between white students and minority students continues social and economic inequality Research
reveals that there was a shrinking of inequality between racial groups from 1970-1988, but since
then the gap has grown again.

Alcohol and drugs

Drugs are at times the causes of social problems. Drugs such as cocaine and opiates offer very
limited positive effects and are extremely addictive. Many users of such drugs will commit
crimes in order to obtain their fix. Occasionally, drugs such as methamphetamine or
phencyclidine will cause deviant and violent behavior, which would be classified as a social
problem.
Drunk driving is on the rise and is the number two cause of accidental death; it is a cause of
around 17,000 deaths each year. All but 9 states have adopted the Administrative License
Revocation where if you are caught drinking and driving and found guilty you lose your license
for a full year. This is a step that is being taken in order to try and avoid this social problem.
Other issues include education, lack of literacy and numeracy, school truancy, violence and
bullying in schools, religious intolerance, immigration, political and religious extremism,
discrimination of all sorts, the role of women, aging populations, gender issues, unplanned
parenthood, and teenage pregnancy.

Social problems
Social Problems is the official publication of the The Society for the Study of Social Problems.
It is a quarterly peer journal published by University of California Press. It was established in
1953. Some of the areas covered by the journal include: conflict, social action, and change; crime
and juvenile delinquency; drinking and drugs; health, health policy, and health services; mental
health poverty, class, and inequality; racial and ethnic minorities; sexual behavior, politics, and
communities; youth, aging, and the life course. Among Sociology journals ranked by the Journal
Citation Reports, Social Problems was ranked 5th, with an impact factor of 1.796.

The society of the study for social problems

The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP), founded in 1951 by Elizabeth Briant Lee
and Alfred McClung Lee, is a non-profit interdisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners,
advocates, and students interested in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic
perspectives to the study of vital social problems.

The SSSP’s stated purpose is to promote and protect sociological research and teaching on
significant problems of social life and, particularly, to encourage the work of young sociologists;
to stimulate the application of scientific method and theory to the study of vital social problems;
to encourage problem-centered social research; to foster cooperative relations among persons
and organizations engaged in the application of scientific sociological findings to the formulation
of social policies; to foster higher quality of life, social welfare, and positive social relations in
society and the global community and to undertake any activity related thereto or necessary or
desirable for the accomplishment of the foregoing purposes.

Teacher perceptions and practices regarding school bullying prevention.

In recent years, the United States has focused increased attention on school bullying, in part due
to increased media attention on school-based homicides and suicides. An increase in school
shootings has led researchers to investigate characteristics of students involved in school
shootings to profile a "typical" school shooter. While a profile was not definitively established,
several characteristics emerged. Two-thirds of the 37 cases examined involved attackers that "felt
persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others prior to the incident," and "a
number of attackers had experienced bullying and harassment that was longstanding and severe.
In those cases, the experience of bullying appeared to play a major role in motivating the attack
at the school."

While the investigation of school bullying is a relatively recent phenomenon in the United States,
it has been thoroughly investigated in other countries. Scandinavian countries initiated the early
research regarding school bullying and researchers from other countries followed their lead.
While the stereotypical bullying episode involves a larger student pushing or hitting a smaller or
weaker student, this narrow view limits what bullying can entail. Physical bullying is where a
student is pushed, hit, or kicked by one or more other students. This situation involves a real or
perceived difference in power between the bully and victim(s) and is repeated over time.
However, bullying is not always physical. It also can be verbal aggression such as name calling
or teasing or indirect aggression such as rumor spreading or social isolation. In the United States,
the prevalence of being bullied (victimized) at the elementary school level was reported at 19%.
In other countries, prevalence of victimization varies from a low of 11.3% in a sample of 5,813
students in Finland to a high of 49.8% in a sample of 7,290 students in Ireland. The highest
levels of victimization occurred in primary schools followed by a steady decline through
secondary school. The rate of bullying others is lower than the rate of being victimized. In the
United States, the elementary school prevalence of bullying others was reported at 14%. In other
countries, prevalence of bullying varied from 4.1% in a sample of 510 students from Finland to
49.7% in the aforementioned nationwide study in Ireland. Bullying occurs in many places at
school, but the most commonly identified sites include the playground, followed by the
classroom, followed by the hallways. Much international literature has examined problems
associated with bullying, both from bullying others and being victimized. Problems include
personal issues such as being depressed, suffering from anxiety, experiencing lower self-esteem,
feeling lonely, experiencing suicidal ideation, suffering mental disorders, engaging in substance
user and developing physical health problems (sleep problems; bed wetting; headaches; stomach
aches; neck, shoulder, or back pain; fatigue). Social problems associated with bullying include
lack of social acceptance, difficulty making friends, fighting, vandalism, stealing, weapon
carrying, and trouble with law enforcement. Students involved in bullying also face greater risk
for academic problems. Bullying also was associated with poor academic achievement,
absenteeism, and decreased school bonding (taking school seriously and satisfaction with
school).

Because of the amount of teacher contact with students, perceptions of teachers regarding student
bullying forms an important first step in minimizing this risk. Research found that teachers
considered bullying the second most serious student behavior after drug use, and that physical
bullying was the worst type of school bullying followed by verbal and social bullying. Teachers
expressed negative attitudes toward bullying and sympathy for victims, and nearly all (98.6%)
felt a responsibility to prevent bullying in the classroom, but they lacked confidence in their
ability to deal with bullying.

Research from several countries indicates bullying prevention programs focusing solely on peer
involvement, or "silver bullet" interventions such as video presentations, are ineffective. The
approach found to be successful is the "whole school approach" that incorporates activities at
both the classroom level and school level to decrease bullying. The whole school approach
creates a new school culture to prevent bullying by changing tangible aspects such as school and
classroom rules targeting the behavior and intangible aspects such as changing student attitudes
and helping them better understand the harm caused by bullying.

The Norwegian Bullying Prevention Program is the best known among whole school prevention
programs. Core components of the program include creating parent awareness of the issue,
administering a student bullying questionnaire, holding an anti-bullying conference day,
providing effective supervision during recess and lunch time, creating a bully prevention
committee, creating classroom rules against bullying, holding regular classroom meetings with
students to discuss bullying, sponsoring serious talks with bullies and victims, and holding talks
with parents of students involved in bullying episodes. Multiple evaluations in different settings
found the program reduced bullying by as much as 50%. Furthermore, the Norwegian Bullying
Prevention Program is the only such program recommended by the Center for the Study and
Prevention of Violence in "Blueprints for Violence Prevention."Programs included as
"Blueprints" must meet strict criteria such as a strong research design, replication of findings in
different settings, and continued significant effects at a minimum one year follow-up after
intervention.
While some bullying research was conducted in the United States, none of the studies
investigated bullying prevention activities in US elementary schools. This study determined if
selected classroom-based bullying prevention activities are occurring in US elementary schools,
teachers' perceived barriers to implementing these activities, and teachers' perceptions regarding
effectiveness of bullying prevention activities.

Social issues in Pakistan

Illiteracy
Education is considered as the cheapest defense of a nation The Constitution of Islamic Republic
of Pakistan says, “The state of Pakistan shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory
secondary education within minimum possible period.”Literacy rate: 49.9% educated populace
(Human development Report Pakistan) placed at 136th position for having just. The primary
completion rate in Pakistan, given by Date Center of UNESCO, is 33.8% in females and 47.18%
in males, which shows that people in the 6th largest country of the world are unable to get the
basic education.

Reason: Unequal education system Different medium of instruction in Public and private sector
Regional disparity (standard of education varies in different provinces of Pakistan) In FATA, the
literacy rate is deplorable constituting 29.5% in males and 3% in females. Gender discrimination:
primary school ratio of boys & girls which is 10:4 respectively. Lack of technical education the
allocation of funds for education is very low. It is only 1.5 to 2.0 percent of the total GDP.
Untrained and non professional teachers

Solution: Govt. should take following measures: Increase education budget Establish more
schools and appoint qualified and trained teachers. Technical education must be given to all the
classes. Promote primary education.

Terrorism
Pakistan plays a key and highly conflicted--role in the global war on terror. Today terrorism is
threatening the very roots and fabric of Pakistan’s nationhood. More tragically, terrorism in
Pakistan draws its justification from the very faith which provides the country its ideological
bases.

Reason: The major causes of Terrorism in Pakistan are: 1- Political Instability 2- Economic
Conditions 3- Standard of Living 4- Religious Extremism

Solution: The real solution is to kill the root of Terrorism and systematically change the
attitude of those people’s who are involved in terrorism - Military operations against terrorists
are also very necessary. Education, Justice, Pour politics can stop the Terrorism...Preventing and
resolving conflicts with Taliban’s and other religious groups. Strengthening the protection of
weak targets. A fully demarcated border with Afghanistan which will prevent the foreign
intrusion in the country. The government should enter into serious negotiations with Washington
on the issues of drone attacks so that our sovereignty should be preserved as we reserve the right
to undertake actions on our own land. A concrete time-table of withdrawal from Afghanistan
needs to be announced by the U.S led forces

Water Crisis
We are facing the crisis of water nowadays. The increase in demand due to population growth,
and infrequent rainfall, is aggravating the situation day by day. Insufficient no. of reservoir is
also one of the causes of water crisis. Perpetual silting of water reservoirs, lakes, canals, rivers
and waterways is one of the major reasons of shrinking water storage capacity.
Solution: The problem has now reached a critical decision-making stage. There are two
obvious solutions to the problem: 1. Make new water reservoirs to make up for the depleting
capacity of old reservoirs, as well as to cater for increase in demand. 2. Maintain the storage
capacity of old reservoirs. Make new reservoirs only to meet the requirement of additional
demand.

Private School – Quality of education in Pakistan

While most of the aforementioned private schools target the relatively affluent strata of society,
there are others like Dar-e-Arqam Schools and Allied Schools, which focus on middle-income
groups – a larger proportion of the population. Dar-e-Arqam has a religious dimension as well,
although it cannot be termed a madressa.
Similarly, some international private schools, like PakTurk International Schools, have a
religious and social dimension, although their curricula remain by and large secular.
In a country with a population of over 180 million (the sixth most populated country in the
world), and a near breakdown of the public education system (from primary to the university
level), it was only natural for the private sector to fill the vacuum. In fact, the role of the private
sector and charitable organizations in the provision of education could have been significantly
greater had the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto regime of the early 1970s not nationalized almost all medium
and large-sized economic units, including many schools and colleges.
After the demise of the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto regime in the mid-1970s, a number of private
schools, colleges and universities were set up in different parts of the country. Notable
educational establishments of that era include Beaconhouse School (1975), City School (1978),
Fauji Education System (1982), Lahore University of Management Sciences (1985), Punjab
Colleges (1985) and Roots School System (1988). These are all successful names in the
provision of education at different levels, albeit with varying quality standards.
Although tertiary education has assumed a lot more significance in the last 20 years in Pakistan
(with over 140 institutions of higher learning registered with the Higher Education Commission
and provincial authorities), the real growth has been in primary and secondary education. So
compelling is the education story of the country that the number of new private-sector schools
keeps increasing with every passing month.
On the back of this success, Pakistani schools can and must play a role in the international
market for education and studies. Beaconhouse has already started operations in some other
countries, like Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, UK, etc, but it is necessary to bring sizable
foreign investments to build more, and larger, schools, colleges and universities.
The huge domestic market must attract international investors to the education sector. There are
already some foreign groups operating in Pakistan, like Choueifat School System. Other schools
that have financial backing from people outside Pakistan include the American International
School Lahore, whose shareholding primarily comes from Pakistani diaspora in USA.
While the likes of Choueifat are welcome to operate in Pakistan, it is even more important that
greater investment is brought into the country to develop Pakistani institutions like Beaconhouse
into an international brand. At present, these institutions are merely offering foreign
qualifications like A-levels and International Baccalaureate, but should be looking to innovate
and expand.
Consequently, there is a need to develop new curricula and qualifications for the Pakistan
market, with such quality that these would be marketable internationally. This can be achieved
provided Pakistani private schools become real leaders in the provision of a high standard of
education worldwide. Failing to think outside their comfort zone, Pakistani schools will continue
to deliver foreign qualifications locally (or elsewhere) without getting due recognition in the
international market for school education.
The success of private schools is not merely failure of public-sector schools, but also the failure
of Pakistani curricula and examination boards. It is imperative to develop an alternative
examination board, nationally, in addition to the boards of intermediate and secondary education
on a divisional level. All the private schools must subscribe to the examinations conducted by
this alternative board, even if they follow British or American curricula. There is also a need to
develop new qualifications, which must be taken up by the students of private schools.
Opportunities abound in developing new, internationally marketable qualifications on the back of
success of Pakistan’s private schools. Given the continual changes in professions, a wide
spectrum of new qualifications may be developed.
For example, instead of A-levels (offered by the British examination boards) and Higher
Secondary School Certificates (offered by divisional education boards), new pre-university
qualifications should be offered like Pakistan Professional Qualification, Pakistan Academic
Qualification, Pakistan Technical Qualification, Pakistan Religious Qualification, Pakistan Media
Qualification, etc. If such qualifications are recognized internationally, this would establish
Pakistan as a leader in education provision. It is an ambition that can undoubtedly be achieved.

Published in The Express Tribune, 25th, 2012.

 Lack of Education in Pakistan
Lack of education is one problem that needs to be solved as only it can lead to a brighter future
for Pakistan. The problems concerning education our numerous but this article is concerning
Gender Disparity and how education of girls is thought as something that will lead to the doom
of Pakistan, instead of it progression by the Taliban.

Gender Disparity in Education is majorly affected by the new era of Taliban’s and terrorism.
Taliban enforced a complete ban on female education in the Swat District. At a stroke, 60 girls
were deprived of their education, joining countless others across Pakistan with little chance of
ever going to school. That was six years ago. Today an old blackboard, laced by a cat's cradle of
silver cobwebs, preserves that last lesson inside a silent classroom.

Now terrorism is something that the Government of Pakistan is trying its best to solve but the
awareness odd education can actually stop this spread of terrorism. The Taliban movement was
born in Pakistan's madras’s, giving these institutions a reputation as factories for extremism,
dedicated to brainwashing their pupils and turning out terrorist recruits. And so by educating the
future generation of Pakistan (which includes both girls and boys) we can stop this extremism and rise of
Taliban.

Societal issues students face outside of the classroom

Three societal issues students face outside of the classroom are poverty, gender, and race. I think
it is very important for schools to teach students values and strategies to overcome these
challenges because schools are supposed to help students. Schools are supposed to empower
students and give them all the things they need to succeed in life.
Poverty is a societal issue that students face, and this issue can be very destructive to a student’s
success. Schools should make it a priority to educate students about financial aid options and
scholarships. Schools should also make sure that students are aware that they can surpass this
social issue and overcome it. I think a lot of students may feel that they can not overcome this
issue, but the school should be able to assist the student in realizing their potential to go beyond
this social issue.

Gender is another social issue student’s face. Schools should teach strategies and values to help
overcome this issue. The gender stereotype should not be reinforced in schools; gender should
not be emphasized in schools. There should also not be any accepted behavior in relation to
gender because this will just create conflicts. Gender is an issue that students have to face, but
gender should not be detrimental to a student's progress.

Race is another societal issue that students are plagued with. Many people have stereotypical
ideas about race and many of these ideas are not only false, but they are counterproductive to the
livelihood of a student. Race is an issue that should be addressed by schools because schools
should emphasize that stereotypes are not true, and negative assumptions that go with race are
also wrong. Race should not be used as en excuse as to why a student is not doing well; the real
underlying situation should be examined and appropriate strategies should be formed in order to
help the student to the best of the schools ability.

There are many societal issues that affect students and schools should make their best effort to
help students overcome these issues. Schools should make sure to instill the knowledge that all
students can surpass the issues they are given in society. Schools should also have the tools to
help teach the students how to overcome these problems. Schools must realize that these issues
are detrimental to the success of their students, and implement strategies to counteract these
issues.

Several new strategies on stream to deal with social issues in schools

Social issues continue to be a growing problem locally, with younger children being involved in
crime, increased teenage pregnancies and an ever-growing list.
Having recognized this, the Ministry of Education will soon be embarking on a number of new
strategies which will be aimed at dealing with issues such as re-integrating pregnant teens back
into the school system.
During a press briefing last Thursday, Minister Manickchand said several senior officers will be
travelling to Jamaica to have a firsthand look at the situation there to see how it (re-integration)
has been working. Having explored the programme in Jamaica, the officers will return with the
aim of possible implementation. It was however noted that as is customary, consultation will
have to be held before that and any other such programme is introduced by the Ministry.
Further, responding to the question of condoms being introduced in schools, Minister
Manickchand said that too is an issue which will have to see consultation.
“This is a serious decision, but it will only come after we would have spoken to persons on a
large scale, I haven’t considered it… I would never off my own, without consultation, make such
a decision”. The Minister acknowledged that the Ministry and its teachers spend at least eight
hours a day with students, but their parents ultimately have the last say.
“We can’t come up with that decision and that child’s parent or guardian has control over that
child. We also have to acknowledge the fact that the children have rights too.”

Characteristics of Social Problems

Salient feature of social problem is that it charges the situation in such a way that a problem is
created to the extent that existing social order have to be changed. It also means that it is difficult
to solve the problem but to feel that such a solution is inevitable or undesirable is not proper. But
one of the significant characteristics of social problem is that it becomes problem only when the
people begin to feel and take that in that sense. As long as the people are not aware of the
problem, even though that exists there is no social disharmony, but maladjustments come to the
front only when the masses become conscious of it.
Classification of Social Problems
So far no universally accepted classification has been produced about social problems. Our
sociologists have tried to give different classification. Harold A Phelps has classified social
problems as biological, e.g. physical defects, bio-psychological e.g. feeble mindedness, cultural
e.g. juvenile delinquency and economic e.g. poverty and unemployment. Another classification is
based on heritage e.g. physical heritage, biological heritage, and social heritage. But so far no
universally accepted classification has been produced. Primary season for this is that in society
no problem is absolute. Every problem is relative and is also linked with one or more aspects of
our social life.

Causes of Social Problems

Social problems are not a welcome in any society. These create disharmony and maladjustment
but still the problems exist. What are the main causes of social problems is a question, which has
been posed by our sociologists. So far the problem has fond no solution and every attempt made
in this regard has failed. The main reason for this is that the sociologists cannot pinpoint
a single cause responsible for creating a social problem. The cause, which may be responsible in
one society, may not be responsible in the other society. Similarly what may be responsible under
certain circumstances may not be under certain other circumstances and so on. In fact in actual
practice it has been found difficult to find out any single cause responsible for creating social
problems. Some of the many causes include feeble mindedness of the individual and his physical
disability. Industrialization, immobility and weak social institutions may be other causes
responsible for creating social problems.

Problems and Solutions of Pakistan Education

Education is considered as the cheapest defense of a nation. But the down trodden condition of
education in Pakistan bears an ample testimony of the fact that it is unable to defend its own
sector. Though 62 years have been passed and 23 policies and action plans have been introduced
yet the educational sector is waiting for an arrival of a savior. The government of Pervaiz
Musharraf invested heavily in education sector and that era saw a visible positive educational
change in Pakistani society. Now a day, the economic situation in Pakistan is under stress and
education is the worse effected sector in Pakistan. The Constitution of Islamic Republic of
Pakistan says, “The state of Pakistan shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory
secondary education within minimum possible period.”

In Human Development Report, Pakistan is placed at 136th position for having just
49.9% educated populace. The primary completion rate in Pakistan, given by Date Center
of UNESCO, is 33.8% in females and 47.18% in males, which shows that people in the 6th
largest country of the world are unable to get the basic education.
Following are the problems of education in Pakistan.
Firstly, the educational system of Pakistan is based on unequal lines. Medium of education is
different in both, public and private sectors. This creates a sort of disparity among people,
dividing them into two segments. One division is on the basis of English medium language while
the other is Urdu medium language.
Secondly, regional disparity is also a major cause. The schools in Baluchistan (The Largest
Province of Pakistan By Area) are not that much groomed as that of Punjab (The Largest
Province of Pakistan By Population). In FATA, the literacy rate is deplorable constituting 29.5%
in males and 3% in females.
Thirdly, the ratio of gender discrimination is a cause which is projecting the primary school
ratio of boys & girls which is 10:4 respectively. For the last few years there has been an increase
in the growth of private schools. That not only harms the quality of education but creates a gap
among haves and has notes.
Fourthly, the lack of technical education is a biggest flaw in the educational policy that has
never been focused before. Therefore, less technical people mean less progress. This flaw is tried
to be covered by the government of President Pervaiz Musharraf. Specially, Pervaiz Elahi
worked very hard to improve the education standard in Punjab.
Fifthly, the allocation of funds for education is very low. It is only 1.5 to 2.0 percent of the total
GDP. It should be around 7% of the total GDP. During his reign, a record 3 to 4 percent of the
budget was earmarked. Later on in the PPP government the budget was reduced drastically in
this sector. We should follow the example of Malaysian government which earmarks about 35
percent of its GDP to education sector.
Sixthly, the teachers in government schools are not well trained. People who do not get job in
any other sector, they try their luck in educational system. They are not professionally trained
teachers so they are unable to train a nation. However, professionally more trained people can
educate the people to build a good nation.
Finally, Poverty is also another factor that restricts the parents to send their children to public or
private schools. So, they prefer to send their children to madressahs where education is totally
free. The worst effected are girl children because parents stop them from going to school and
hand over trivial jobs to earn few bucks at home.
Recently, minister of education announced a new Education policy for that next 10 years. The
interesting thing is that the previous educational policy from 1998 to 2010 is still not expired.
Although it is projected to give new plans and to make more promises with the nation. It is said
in this policy that all the public schools will be raised up to the level of private schools. No plan
of action have been discussed, yet a notice is issued to private schools to induct government
course in 5th and 8th class and these classes will bound to take board exams. This disturbed
the students of private sector also.
Solutions for Educational System: Estimating the value of education, the Government
should take solid steps on this issue. Implementation instead of projecting policies should be
focused on. Allocation of funds should be made easy from provinces to districts and then to
educational institutes. Workshops must be arranged for teachers. Foreign states are using LSS
system. This should be inducted in Pakistani schools to improve the hidden qualities of children.
Technical education must be given to all the classes. The education board of Punjab has
projected a plan to give tech- education to the children of industrial workers. Promotion of the
primary education is the need of time. Teachers, professors and educationists should be consulted
while devising any plan, syllabus or policy. The state seems to give up her responsibility and
totally relying on private sector. The need of time is to bring education in its original form to
masses. Burdening students with so many books will not work as he will not understand what the
world is going to do next moment. Education is the only cure of the testability in the state and
can bring revolution through evolution, by eradicating the social evils. This is how to remove
illiteracy in Pakistan.

Social Issues in Education

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." - John Dewey

If there is one thing that makes or breaks an individual - it is his education. Schools, where
children study, learn and prepare for life, thus need to provide the right kind of environment so
that students can get an education properly.

In schools, students are taught languages, mathematics, science, history and a number of other
subjects. They get to participate in sports activities, socialize with their peers and learn how to
adapt themselves in different social situations. However, an impediment in the path of the child
development at schools comes by way of the various social issues that plague our education
system.

Types of Social Issues in Education

Emotional Issues
Society has changed considerably in the last few decades. Today, the divorce rate is very high in
America and many school going children are brought up in single parent families. Growing up in
broken homes can adversely affect the emotional health of a student and this may lower his
performance at school. However, even when children are brought up in homes where both
parents are present, it's not necessary that there emotional needs will be met, as in majority of
families today, both the parents are working.

Ethnic Issues
Children belonging to certain ethnic groups such as blacks are expected to be slower learners as
compared to others. There are certain stereotypes that have been attached to specific races and,
children belonging to them, suffer from low self-esteem.

Gender Issues
Another social issue in education is differentiation on the basis of sex. Girls have lesser
opportunities, compared to boys for studying, in certain sections of the society. Expectations
from girls to score high in studies or study further, are less too.

Economic Issues
Some social issues arise due to the economic strata a student belongs to. Students, who belong to
poor families, go to public schools which are not so well equipped with technology. This
automatically puts them at a disadvantage, when compared to the students who go to some good
private schools.

Cultural Issues
Students belonging to immigrant families may not be well versed with English language. This
creates a barrier in communication between students and teachers and thus, such students are not
able to receive proper education.

Ethical Issues
There are certain ethical issues in education which too, affect students such as - whether to allow
cell phones in school or not, should school uniforms be made compulsory, etc.

Impact of Social Issues in Education

According to the "Education Research Center, United States", around 7,000 high school students,
drop out of school every day! The high drop out rates is propelled by social issues in education
as mentioned above. These issues basically have two kinds of impact - firstly, the student's
performance suffers and secondly, the teacher's expectations do not remain the same for
everybody. That's why certain political issues on education have been raised to deal with these
social problems.

The government is running various bilingual programs in schools, where majority of students
belong to immigrant families. This helps them learn English and other subjects faster. Secondly,
the government has come up with "private-school vouchers", with the help of which students of
public schools can attend private schools to get a superior education.

Some current issues in education with regards to politics, that require immediate attention by
policy makers are - Providing family and medical leave to all working parents so that they can
spend quality time with their children, providing financial support to low-income families and
single mothers, giving scholarships to teachers to study further and running training programs for
them and lastly, taking steps to prevent the spread of HIV, STDs among adolescents.

The government has to make certain policies and see to it that they are implemented properly, to
tackle these issues. Besides political will, a change in society's attitude is needed too, to ensure
that these issues do not arise any further.

Social issues in schools and impact of these issues on students

Students learn to build friendships and interact socially with kids and adults while at school.
However, friendships and social expectations often lead to stress in adolescents, especially
students who face social problems. Common social problems in schools include peer pressure,
cliques, classroom racism, unequal opportunity, economy, substance abuse, abuse, neglect, crime
and violence, cyber bullying, bad habits, sexual abuse, media influence, aggression, shifted
preferences etc.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure occurs when students try to influence each other's decisions. Peer pressure can be
positive; for example, a student could remind her friend about the math homework or encourage
him to go out for a sports team. However, peer pressure is often negative, such as pressure to
drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, cut class, cheat on a test or shoplift. Students often find it
difficult and stressful to refuse peer pressure.

Cliques
Cliques refer to groups of friends that exclude other people. Cliques usually have codes of
behavior -- such as requirements to dress a certain way or play a certain sport -- and tend to focus
on status and popularity. Cliques often bully or insult outsiders. Belonging to a clique can be
stressful and harmful, too, because cliques often discourage members from socializing with
anyone else and require members to act a certain way to fit in.

Classroom Racism

Racism is a social problem that exists in all facets of society, from business environments to
schools. That this issue has worked its way into classrooms is evidenced by prejudiced peers full
of discriminatory remarks toward classmates of minority backgrounds. While teachers can ban
language wars at school, racism might continue to exist if parents do not also help to correct the
prejudice behaviors of their children in the home. However, if students are learning their racist
beliefs and remarks from their parents, teachers will not be able to rely on parents to help resolve
the issue.

Unequal Opportunity
Within the realm of discrimination is the social issue of unequal educational opportunities for
individuals who come from low-income, minority backgrounds. Students who belong to this
demographic risk missing out on the same level of educational quality as middle- to upper-class
students of non-minority backgrounds. The big social problem here is that the education system
has inequities and offers disproportionate opportunities based on cultural affiliation and income
level, when; ideally, all children should have exposure to an equal education.

Economy
The economy plays a significant part in social problems that affect students and schools. As
children get older, they begin to notice the financial pressures that their parents and families
experience. In a hard economy, it can be difficult for families---especially single-parent
families---to make ends meet. Consequently, some high schoolers drop out of school so that they
can help support the family financially. According to a 2004 study by the National Center for
Education Statistics, income is a primary issue involved in a student's decision to drop out of
school, and studies show that children from low-income families are six times as likely to drop
out as children from high-income families. Schools and parents can work together to help resist
students' decisions to drop out.

Substance Abuse
Substance abuse and addictions have become an epidemic. Many children---even at early ages---
have access to addictive substances, illegal drugs and alcohol. The use of such substances leads
to problems in the form of violence, criminal behaviors, teen pregnancies and a diminishing
interest in education. Severe substance abusers may drop out of school altogether, or have
difficulty maintaining a high level of performance. This social problem can be better controlled
through structured and supportive environments for students, both at home and in the schools.

Abuse
Abuse is a social problem that many children face. Abuse may be physical, sexual or emotional.
Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse, such as a parent screaming at and deriding a child. There
are different levels of severity when it comes to abuse, although abuse of any kind is serious.
Physical abuse may endanger a child's safety or life, but emotional abuse can also have serious
consequences. Emotional abuse can cause depression, anxiety, withdrawal and other personality
and learning disorders during and after adolescence.

Neglect
Neglect occurs when a child's physical, social or emotional needs are not met. Sometimes neglect
is related to poverty or financial hardship. A child's parents or caregivers may not have the
financial resources needed to provide the child with adequate shelter, clothing and nutrition.
Alternatively, foster care homes or community shelters many not have the funds or resources to
give children what they need to thrive and be healthy. Neglect can have lasting and permanent
consequences on a child's mental, social and physical health and well-being.

Crime and Violence

In many communities, children face crime and violence. Crime and violence have the potential to
affect children in different ways. For instance, a child may be the victim of crime or violence.
Alternatively, the child may be a regular witness to crime and violence. As a result of either of
these instances, the child may be more likely to engage in crime and violence him self.

Cyber bullying
While bullying has been always been a concern in schools, with the advent of social media, what
was once subject to being addressed immediately can spiral out of control. The public aspect of
these social venues increases the humiliation and damage to a student’s reputation as a result of
false and or slanderous taunts and tweets sent out by peers. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, suicide accounts for more than 4,400 annual deaths of young people
between the ages of 10 and 24. A Yale study conducted in 2008 made the correlation between
bullying and suicide and concluded that victims of bullying are two to nine times more likely to
consider suicide than non-bullying victims. Teachers and parents play a critical role in teaching
acceptance and compassion for students of different ethnicities and sexual orientation to prevent
this trend from escalating.