English Literature

 Subject:- Academic writings

 Section:- MA English 2B
 Assignment no: 1
 Due date:- 9th October , 2020
 Total marks:- 10
 Word count:- 2000(+|-5%) words
 Title:- Trace the development of primary
education in one country. Illustrate some of the
issues currently facing this sector.
 Submitted to:-Ma`am Faiza Yunus
 Submitted by:- Itrat Batool
 Roll no:-819062
 Registration ID:- NUML-F19-25116
Q:-Write an outline for the given title and write an essay based
on that outline.

Title:- Trace the development of primary education in one

country. Illustrate some of the issues currently facing this sector.
 Outline:-

1. Introduction to primary education.

2.Importance of primary education.
3.Development of primary education in Pakistan.
3.1.Role of Constitution of Pakistan in developing primary education.
3.2. Launching of various NEPs to promote primary education.
3.3. Devolution of autonomy to schools.
3.4. Major educational innovations and reforms in Pakistan.
3.4.1. Privatisation.
3.4.2.Universal primary education campaigns.
3.4.3.Provision of teaching kits.
3.4.4. Residences for rural female teachers.
3.4.5. Usage of ICT in education sectors.
4.5.International support for education.
4. Issues facing primary education.
4.1. Lack of uniformity.
4.2. Education without direction.
4.3.Lack of quality teachers.
4.4.Alarming dropouts.
4.5. System of examination.
4.6.Internal and external influences.
4.7. Poor supervisory standards.
4.8. Lack of resources.
4.9. Policy implementation.
4.10. Low budgetary allocation for education.
5. Conclusion.
6.Recommendations.
 1. Introduction to primary education:-
Primary education ,also called, elementary education, is for children in kindergarten
through sixth grade. It is typically the first stage of formal education coming after pre-
school and before secondary school.
2. Importance of primary education:-
Primary education is the basic and foremost right of every child. Its availability and
provision is not only the responsibility of state but parents and households . Primary
education is important to provide the opportunities to:
 Self development.
 Creativity and communication skills.
 Enjoy learning and develop desire to continue learning.
 Develop aesthetic values.
 Develop awareness of the environment.
 Develop individual talents.
 Reduces chronic and inter-generational poverty etc.

3. Development of primary education in Pakistan:-

3.1. Role of Constitution of Pakistan in developing primary education:-

Article 25-A of Constitution of Pakistan obligates the state to provide free and
compulsory quality education to children of the age of 5to16 years old.

The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 5to16
years old in such a manner as may be determined by law.(Malik,2011)

Article 35-B of Constitution of Pakistan forces the state to remove illiteracy from country
and provide free compulsory education.

The state shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education within
minimum possible period.(Malik,2011)

3.2. Launching of various NEPs to promote primary education:-

The government launched a nationwide initiative in National Education

Policy(NEP)1998-2010, with the aim of eradicating providing a basic education to all
children.

A new NEP 2009 has been launched one year before finishing the last NEP. Through
various educational reforms,by2015, the ministry of education expects to attain 100%
enrollment levels among children of primary school age and literacy rate of 86% among
people aged over 10.
3.3. Devolution of autonomy to schools:-

In Pakistan, the devolution of autonomy to schools is being emphasized by National

Education Policies since 1959 with a renewed interest in community participation since
1992.(Ministry of education,1992;Farooqi,2011). The district governments were tasked
to administer primary and secondary education(Farooqi,2011).Under the LGO 2001, the
School Management Committees/Parent-Teacher Associations(SMCs/PTAs) were
created through which communities can get involved in school governance and decision
making(Nayyar-Stone et al,2006). These SMCs/PTAs) were in Place in all the four
provinces of Pakistan.

3.4. Major educational innovations and reforms in Pakistan:-

There are many educational innovations and reforms which have been helpful in
promoting primary education. Out of them ,a few have been discussed here:

3.4.1. Privatisation:-

The 1998 education policy observes that ‘the government alone could not carry the
burden of the whole education process’(Pakistan. Ministry of Education, 1998, p. 108)
and hence the ‘private enterprises will be encouraged to open education institutions,
particularly in rural areas’ (p. 108). The Education Sector Reforms (ESR) 2001-2004
actively encourage the public private partnerships in order to increase ‘access to quality
education’ and to meet the increased ‘demand for education’ (Pakistan. Ministry of
Education, 2002a, p. 52).

3.4.2. Universal primary education campaigns:-

The 1998 Education Policy sees elementary education as a fundamental human right.
The goals and targets set for the elementary education were in line with the
requirements of ‘international commitments such as, World Declaration on Education
For All (1990); Delhi Summit Declaration (1993) and subsequent E-9 Ministerial Review
Meetings, and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)’ (Pakistan. Ministry of
Education, 1998, p.26). The ESR also launched some innovative programmes for
increasing enrolment like the Tawana Pakistan: School Nutrition Package (SNP) for girls
and the introduction of early childhood classes in primary schools.

3.4.3. Provision of teaching kits:-

In 1974 The Ministry of Education following a recommendation from UNESCO, decided

to give each school in Pakistan a teaching kit. The aims were to make it easier for
students to learn abstract concepts from concrete examples. The resulting box
contained 100 items such as charts, cutouts, a flannel board, chemicals, test tubes,
beakers, a magnet and pictures of famous personalities. After some Pilot-testing of the
items the project began in 1976 with funding from UNICEF.

3.4.4. Residences for rural female teachers:-

The World Bank and the Government of Pakistan, under the first Primary Education
Project, built 320 residences for single teachers in Punjab, Sindh, and Northwest
Frontier Provinces, and ten cluster school hostels for married teachers in Baluchistan to
deal with the problem of female teachers shortage due to house lacking near rural
schools.

3.4.5. Usage of ICT in education sector:-

The awareness of primary school children's is the linkage between Information and
communication technology(ICT) and the way they learn within the situation of a school.
Due to IT students deliver better results. ICT is providing an excellent opportunity for the
teachers to adopt from millions of teaching styles which were previously confined to a
few. Through technology the development of primary education is becoming possible.

3.5. International support for education:-

since 1947, Pakistan receives foreign aid for different educational development
programs. Being specific to primary education and foreign aid, it significantly enhances
the completion rate of primary school. The primary aim of this foreign aid is to meet the
MDG target of achieving the primary competition rate. The very first MDG of education
was to achieve a 100% primary completion rate. UN and other donor agencies provided
fund to Pakistan to reach this goal. Similarly the teacher's training program was
supported by the Canadian International Development Agency, and the Department for
International Development took initiatives for student's enrollment drive and teacher
training programs and so on.

4. Issues facing primary education.

Educational system of Pakistan is continuously facing many familiar problems at the

primary level . Some of them are discussed below:

4.1. Lack of uniformity:-

The system of education in Pakistan according to Iqbal (1981) is not based on uniform
principles .Different systems of education are simultaneously working in the country.
The curriculum is also not uniformed which has given birth to different schools of
thoughts. For example there is a world of difference between the attitudes of students
coming out from the public educational institutions, Deeni Madaris and the few private
elite institutions. This trend has accelerated the pace of polarization in the society.
4.2. Education without direction:-

A sound education system is essential for every nation of the world .Pakistani education
system due to being directionless and weak has not been able to develop and guide its
people on sound political and social grounds. There is lack of cohesion in the system and
it is more prone towards general education which does not bring any skilled manpower
to the market. Resulting there is increasing unemployment.

4.3. Lack of quality teachers:-

The quality of teachers in Pakistani schools is deplorable. According to a UNESCO report,

the quality of the teachers and instruction in schools is of low quality . This situation is
grimmer in remote parts of Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan where even there are no
teachers available in schools. Research has found that teachers do not use new methods
and strategies of teaching and learning . Teachers encourage cramming of the materials
by students. Students do not know the use of libraries in educational institutions. Thus
the reading habits are decreasing among the students.

4.4. Alarming dropouts:-

Due to lack of effective management of schools there is lack of discipline in schools and
other educational institutions which leads to high scale dropouts of students. This trend
has increased to such an extent that there are now 40 lac students out of school due to
drop out in Pakistan.

4.5. System of examination:-

Examination system should be based on qualitative and quantitative techniques to

comprehensively evaluate the performance of students. The examination system of
Pakistan is not only outdated but it also does not have the quality to evaluate the
performance of learners comprehensively. The examination system of Pakistan tests
only the memory of students. As a result of this the examination system promotes
cramming which negates the role of high intellectual power of learners in the education
process.

4.6. Poor supervisory standards:-

The system of school supervision is aimless in Pakistan. There is not only lack of
supervisory activities in schools but the process of supervision itself does not bring any
positive results for teachers and students. Supervision system is concerned with
controlling and harassing the teachers rather than providing help and guidance for
improvement of performance.
4.7 . Internal and external influences:-

Education system in Pakistan is not free from external and internal influences. Externally
the system has been made hostage to political interference and internally it is plagued
by the bureaucratic manipulations . There is a greater favoritism and nepotism in
matters of transfers, appointments and promotions. Due to this the basic infrastructure
of the education system in Pakistan has affected .

4.8 . Lack of resources:-

Education resources such as books, libraries and physical facilities are important for
smooth running of educational process. There are despairingly no facilities of books,
libraries and reading materials in all educational institutions of the country. Besides,
there are overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teachers and ill-equipped laboratories.
This entire grim situation has resulted in a despair and low standard education
system.

4.9. Policy implementation:-

Since the foundation of Pakistan a number of education policies were created. There has
been lack of political will on the part of successive government to implement the
policies vigorously. The policies were highly ambitious but could not be implemented in
true letter and spirit. There has been problem of corruption, lack of funds and gross
inconsistency in successive planning on the part of various political regimes in Pakistan.
Moreover, in the overall policy formulation teachers have been ignored. They are
regarded as unimportant element which has led to alienation between the teachers and
the system of education.

4.10. Low budgetary allocation for education:-

The education system of Pakistan has been crippled mainly due to scarce finance. The
successive governments have been giving less than 2.5 percent budget to the education
sector which is not sufficient for the growing educational needs of the nation in the
present changing times. According to International Crisis group, Pakistan is amongst the
12 countries in the world that spent less than 2 percent of their GDP on education
sector. With this insufficient budgetary allocation, the country is hardly going to meet
the targets of universalization of primary education as a signatory to the Dakar
Conference’s MDG goals by 2015 and onward.

5. CONCLUSION:-

This concludes that education is a dynamic power which empowers each country to
accomplish its general public objectives. It is an established fact that countries that have
developed a sound system of education have a sound social and political system. The
education system of Pakistan has not been able to play its role effectively in nation
building. This factor has contributed towards development of frustration among the
Pakistani society. The future generation of Pakistan is directionless due to defective
education system which has drastically failed to raise the nation on sound economic,
social, political and moral grounds. The directionless system of education is producing
forces of degree holders who are deficient in high order live skills such as reflection,
critical thinking, analysis, research and creativity. Students coming out of the Pakistani
education system are theoretically sound but have no skills to apply whatever they learn
from their institutions due to the traditional methods of teaching and learning. Finally, it
infers that there is an urgent need to reform the system of education in Pakistan and for
this purpose this essay presents the following recommendations.

6. Recommendations:-

1. There should be sufficient budgetary allocation for education in the national GDP.
This will provide the system with resources to take fresh breath of life.
2. There should be quality institutions for the professional development of teachers
form primary to higher levels. For this purpose the existing system of teacher education
institutions must be provided with funds to run programmes of training for teachers on
periodical basis.
3. Curriculum should be evaluated on annual basis. In this regard a vast survey could
be conducted to seek opinions of teachers, parents and community regarding their
expectations and observations.
4. There should be as less political interference as possible. This will allow the system
to function smoothly and without any discrimination.
5. Polices should be implemented without any delay of time and resources. There
should be a strong political will on the part of the government to implement polices
without any delay.
6. Examination system should be made free form the mafia of unfair means. For this
purpose the government should enhance the salaries and the education professionals so
that their tendencies are not diverted towards evil means of getting favors.

(2328 words including 228 words of outline)