Hussain, 1

Malik Muwadat Hussain

23110264

Aqila Zaman

SS100 Writing and Communication

11 November 2019

Persuasive essay

The Government of Pakistan is focusing on the development of a uniform education system to

ensure equal opportunities for all its citizens. The Government is going to implement this

system in 2020 because the public, private, and madrassah systems were not delivering. The

urgency of the situation demands that the pros and cons of this system should be discussed.

Although some people are against the government's approach to resolve this issue; however, a

uniform education system must be enforced in Pakistan because it will result in the end of

social discrimination between students, it will provide all students access to quality education,

and it has been successfully implemented in many countries.

A uniform education system is necessary to end social discrimination between students. Our

education system failed to cultivate the feelings of unity and harmony among the society. Such

a system can only promote ethnicity, provincialism, and racism, but now there is a need to

break walls of difference among students. Its solution is the development of a uniform

education system. It is a drawback of our society that despite having potential, some students

can not give their best because of a feeling of inferiority. We have three types of education
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system i.e. HSC, SSC, and GCE. HSC (Higher secondary school certificate) and SSC (Secondary

School Certificate) are primarily concerned with matric and fsc, while GCE (General Certificate

of Education) is based on o & a levels. The poor and middle-class people send their children to

get education from public and low fees private sector (where the quality of education is

pathetic) under the HSC or SSC system while the elite class of our country studied under the

GCE system in institutions charging a considerable amount of fee. This results in segregation in

our society, especially in students, which is unbearable. The teaching standards and

methodologies in HSC, SSC, and GCE systems are quite different. Instead of providing students

equity, we are enforcing them to study under different methods and then evaluate them on the

same standards. These existing systems of education are discriminating in nature and

perpetuate social inequality. These different systems give rise to an environment where

education becomes business, and the only aim of such educational institutes is to maximize

their profit instead of delivering knowledge. We have schools in our country which are charging

a lot of fees, and when we talk about the establishment of a uniform education system, they

are the first ones to oppose this idea. This idea of a uniform education system will ruin the

business of such so-called educational institutes. The oppression of our society is that most

parents had studied under HSC and SSC system, and they want their children to study under the

GCE system. Hence, we cannot ignore the third pillar of educational triangle i.e. parents who

also need counseling so that they can understand what uniform education system means?

There is a need to have some workshops and seminars with the parents to convince them how

this uniform education system will help their children to get success in life.
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Access to quality education for all is one of the main features of a uniform education system. To

achieve all the learning objectives, we must have to develop such a system. A country having an

illiteracy rate of forty percent must have to take measures to reduce the illiteracy rate, and the

only way to do so is to develop a single, centrally governed education system. Sadly speaking,

our nation stands directionless and aimless. Vested interests victimize us. Foreign powers

plunder our precious national resources, and we have turned a blind eye towards them. All this

happens only because our masses are mostly illiterate and ignorant. Now, if we implement this

system, it will give the nation a sense of unitary direction. In Pakistan, we have three basic kind

of educational institutions at the primary level, including madrassahs, the public, and private

sector. These three kinds of institutions have separate education systems. Madrassah education

is most miserable and pathetic because the students there have never learned science subjects

which are required to survive in this modern world. We cannot ignore the situation in public

schools and colleges where there is no check and balance for administration. We must have to

take measures to make the situation better. Therefore, reform in the education system is

required so that everyone can get equal opportunities to academic progress and integration of

madrassah education with mainstream literacy program will open new opportunities to those

students. What do we mean by a uniform education system? Its concept is confused with the

concept of leveling, where all students will be at the same mental level. It is not true because

uniformity does not only mean forming one curriculum and medium of instruction but also

increasing standards of teaching and the schools themselves. Teachers are also valuable assets

of our society. We must choose them wisely. We have to set minimum standards for school to

ensure the quality of education. Another problem faced by students is the presence of different
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regional boards in Pakistan having different curricula i.e. Lahore board, Sindh board, and

Federal board etc. If a student has to shift from one city to another within Pakistan because of

any reason, his whole curriculum from teaching methodologies to books is changed. Thus, it has

become difficult for students to adapt to a new system, and they will be just hanged in net of

these regional boards. If we implement a uniform education system, no one has to suffer while

moving from one city to another within a country. Pakistan can do better in the field of

education if the government prudently approaches current situations, such as giving teachers

better wages, improving student support in the classroom, and having modern educational

facilities for each school.

We, as a country, are not the first one to opt for a uniform education system. Many other

countries had successfully implemented this system, and now it is our turn to do so. Finland,

Japan, Denmark, Russia, Iceland, Germany, and even China has its independent education

system. Our rival, India, is also trying to develop a uniform education system to ensure equal

opportunities for all students. Why not we as a country, develop a system where all students

are treated equally and discrimination just based on the wealth of their parents will put to an

end? Finland, a country with a population of 5.513 million people, has developed a system

where there is a standardized testing system, better teaching standards, and free education for

everyone. Finland has been ranked as one of the top countries in the world having the best

education system, and their students had performed consistently well as compared to other

countries in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Finish ministry of education

attributes its success to the "education system (uniform basic education for the whole group),

highly competent teachers, and autonomy given to schools." In Germany, the medium of
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instruction is germane, and even in China, the medium of instruction is Chinese, and both

countries have their uniform education systems which have proven successful. If these

countries can, then why we cannot? Western countries have achieved this glory of success just

because of a well-organized education system. Now, it is our turn to introduce a system that

will promote equality and achieve excellence. Unless and until we reform our education system

and policies, Pakistan will keep lagging in the comity of advanced and developed nation.

Another issue faced by Pakistan is that its lot of budget is sacrificed for defensive purposes of

competing with our rival India. To become a developed and civilized country, Pakistan should

prioritize education instead of defense.

Some people in Pakistan have criticized the approach of the Government towards development

of a uniform education system and claim that there is no place in Pakistan for such a system.

They strengthen their argument by saying that long time is required to develop such a system.

Things take both time and effort, but it does not mean that you do not do it when they are

needed the most. A country with no uniform education policies or system will take the

consequences in shape of rising tides of anarchy, chaos, sectarianism, and extremism, as is

witnessed in Pakistan daily. It is need of today, and we all have to come together to make it

happen. We as a nation have done very little to set things right, and now it is our responsibility

to provide a uniform, purposeful education system to our youth.

A uniform education system must be enforced in Pakistan for its development and progress

where the child of the poor and underprivileged gets access to the same education standard as

the rich. It will revolutionize the educational history of Pakistan and results in individuals who

will better serve the community.

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Work Cited

Bari, Faisal. "Uniform Education?" DAWN.COM, 21 Sept. 2018, www.dawn.com/news/1434226.

Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

Razzaq, Jamila. "Uniform Education." Thenews.Com.Pk, The News International, 10 Feb. 2019,

www.thenews.com.pk/print/430323-uniform-education. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

Ashwini Upadhyay. "India Needs Uniform Education." Https://Www.Oneindia.Com, 31 Mar.

2016, www.oneindia.com/feature/india-needs-uniform-education-2056547.html. Accessed 11

Nov. 2019.

Jackson, Abby. "How Finland Beats America on Education - Business Insider." Business Insider,

Business Insider, 16 Nov. 2016, www.businessinsider.com/how-finland-beats-america-on-

education-2016-11. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

"20 Best Education System in the World - Edsys." Edsys, 22 May 2019, www.edsys.in/best-

education-system-in-the-world/.

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