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Posts tagged with: Education
Sep 23, 2010    |       13 comments

The Education Crisis in Pakistan

The government has cut HEC’s funds in the wake of fiscal constraints. The government has allocated Rs15.8 billion for the HEC for the current year, an amount which is Rs19 billion less than that needed and is under threat of reduction. So far the government has only released Rs1.4 billion of this amount, all of which is going towards human resources while no money has yet been released for scholarships as a result of which the future of 14,000 PhD students, 5,000 of whom are studying abroad, is at stake. [Tribune: 72 Universities to go on Strike]

This fiscal year’s budgetary allocations for higher education have been slashed by more than 70 per cent. In a poorly thought out moment, the government announced in June a 50% increase in salaries which has subsequently not been possible to honour to date leading to a very avoidable sense of deprivation.

CUTTING BACK ON UNIVERSITY  EDUCATION

Why is it that financiers only think of money: How much money will it take to make more money? How much money must we borrow? How much money must we make to repay what we borrow? There is never enough talk of what money can buy, what is worth buying, or those things worth achieving that perhaps money can’t buy.

Such as being accomplished at what we do, being well behaved, appreciating what is beautiful around us, how to use authority wisely, how to be calm and dignified, the necessity of being honest in one’s dealings, respect for others, being responsible, how to be empowered , how to be ambitious without being ruthless, how to be competitive without being unjust, how to love and be loved, how to care for and value our elders, our children, our women, our neighbours, our animals, our environment, how to harvest yet preserve the gifts of nature.
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Aug 9, 2010    |       2 comments

Importance of Social Sector Development

Pakistan is facing high budget deficit which is hitting the economy badly. For reducing budget deficit, the government is cutting down expenditures in the social sector like education and health. When the government reduces expenditures on education, health, population issues, the poor is hit the hardest. No nation can progress without a strong human capital base and investment in this area will be as essential as sound macroeconomic policies in achieving the desired economic boom. They are the ones who depend most upon state provided facilities.

Though all might be enjoying the subsidy, the poor have the highest value for it. When infrastructure prices are raised, the poor are again the hardest hit, as they have to pay more. When jobs are cut, they again are the hardest hit segment of the society, as they have no assets to depend upon apart from the labour that they can sell. The recent cutting in expenditures of the public sector development has increased the incidence of poverty in the country.
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Apr 30, 2010    |       18 comments

Brain Drain – Oh Really?

It is a concern habitually voiced now & than on various platforms that because of the untoward state of the state, students (undergrads & graduates) are fleeing the country ensuing brain drain

I would say, too many applicants for fewer seats obtainable in universities and consequently failure to get admission in professional institutes is actually the notion of “brain drain”. I’d rather consider the aforementioned brain drain a blessing in the given situation. It is inevitable now at least those who can afford, or students’ who are able to get scholarships are going abroad, creating space for freshmen here.

Policy makers are aware of the fact that more than half of our population constitutes adolescents; they have been calling them our greatest treasure & pride. But the irony is that, no development had been done to dwell them except to possibly exploit them for some mere political purpose, if not for anything else. Having most of our population being predominantly youngsters should have sent shivers & goose bumps, setting off alarm bells across campuses to have more of the same developed on an emergency basis.
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Apr 25, 2010    |       49 comments

Will the Supreme Court get the parliamentarians’ degrees verified?

A dozen or so of these unworthy parliamentarians have been already disqualified on grounds of fake degrees. Many more continue to be our MNAs and MPAs. For how long shall we suffer and tolerate these unethical characters?

Why must the SC not task the HEC to verify their degrees and get rid of those who entered the parliament on the basis of deception and fraud. Regardless of their party, they must be removed and also made ineligible for any future elections.

Here is an appeal to Supreme Court requesting suo moto action. If you are sufficiently moved, do write a supporting letter to the SC CJ or a letter to Pakistani newspapers.
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Apr 27, 2009    |       11 comments

The Arithmetics of 6760 documented Ghost Schools in Sindh

Mr. Naeem Sadiq a very active member of the Peoples Resistance had only recently stumbled across a very extensive study carried out by the Sindh Education and Literacy Department under the School Rehabilitation Program 2008-2009 with the backing of a number of international donor agencies. To produce a report for the thousands of ghost schools and shelter-less schools scattered all across the province of Sindh.

The ghost schools phenomenon is probably the biggest crime to the future generations of Pakistan, millions get sanctioned on an yearly basis for the construction and the maintenance of these educational centers and in reality they never exist and are merely paper based ghost schools with a fully employed staff and a regular budget extracting millions from the provincial budget whilst our children continue to remain uneducated.

The PDF document initially provided to Mr. Naeem Sadiq {[download id=”8″]} listed approximately 6479 ghost schools but more recently the Reform Support Unit updated its website to list around 6760 Closed Schools while a whopping 7490 Shelter less Schools. if one were to even extrapolate the financial corruption leading from these ~7000 ghost schools its bound to reach astronomical proportions Read Mr. Naeem Sadiq’s oped in todays Dawn titled Ghost Schools Arithmetic Continue Reading

Nov 24, 2008    |       13 comments

The Pakistan Test

An article appeared in New York Times discussing the tender situation that confronts Pakistan, Nicholas Kristof has presented Pakistans’ case well, more discussion on Pakistan follows on his blog. Nick has offered four solutions on how Barack Obama might help bring Pakistan out of its present problems. First is to slow the money supply to Pakistan as it just needs the political will to stop the insurgency not hard cash, Second is to ease trade barriers so that Pakistani industries develop. Third is to put pressure on India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue and the Fourth is to focus on education Question: Do you agree or would you have more so list out as suggestions

Nov 14, 2008    |       15 comments

Open Letter to President Zardari from Women’s Action Forum

Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan

Mr. President, we request you to recall the legacy of Mohtarima Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and her tireless efforts to improve the lot of Pakistani women, towards the goal of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Khawateen Mahaz-e-Amal (Women’s Action Forum – WAF) Pakistan expresses its extreme concern at the following recent events and reported Government moves, which have gravely negative implications for Pakistani women.

WAF Pakistan is shocked, horrified and outraged at the appointment of Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri as a federal Minister. This is the man who is on record as having actually defended the barbaric and inhuman crime of burying women alive as “a traditional custom”. Zehri also threatened, on the floor of the Senate, Senator Yasmin Shah, who had the courage to speak out against the heinous crime. WAF is of the opinion that such beliefs reflect a blatant flouting with impunity of Pakistani law, according to which this heinous crime is murder with premeditated intent – a cognizable and non-bailable offence, which carries strong punishments. It is also a violation of the 1973 Constitution and the teachings of Islam.
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