Destination….unknown!

Some events in one’s life are of such supreme importance that they remain etched in one’s memory forever. One of these, perhaps, is starting school. I quite distinctly remember the time when I was about four years old and my mother, without any preamble, announced that very soon I would have to go to school. This was back in the good old days when four year olds were artless and innocent and so the prospect of going to school appeared rather frightening to them. Ignorance is said to breed fear and so afraid I was, since I only had a very vague idea of what a school would be like. Though my mother tried her best to reassure me, expounding on the joys and delights of school and the affable and benevolent nature of teachers, the thought of being away from my mother did not appeal to me at all and I dreaded the day my carefree and happy life would be shattered and I would have to conform to the idiosyncratic ideals of grown ups.The day finally arrived when I was jolted out of my reverie and rudely woken up by my mother early in the morning.Despite my vehement protests I was made to don my newly acquired uniform and was soon on my way to school with a scrupulously scrubbed face, slicked down hair and polished shoes.

The school seemed immense. W e went up an endless flight of stairs and entered a room full of boys and girls of my size. A kindly looking lady greeted us warmly and soon my mother and she were engaged in earnest conversation. The next thing I knew, my mother kissed me goodbye and went out the door. Though I did have an idea that this was to happen I was still not prepared for the suddenness of this eventuality and so gave vent to my feelings by howling as loudly as possible and running after my mother. The kindly looking lady, with an alacrity which belied her appearance, grabbed hold of me with one hand and shut the door with the other. Before I could think of another escape plan all windows and doors had been closed and the inmates of that room were looking at my histrionics with amusement and an air of superiority which seemed to say: “Been there, done that.”

Surprisingly when I realised that there was no escape I quieted down and very soon started to feel at home.My prep class teacher, Mrs Malik, who I still clearly remember was an extremely nice and affectionate lady. She had a wonderfully calm and soothing manner and always seemed to be smiling. She was, I suppose, my first encounter with authority and I am grateful to her for making my first experience of school enjoyable and something to reminisce about.Now I am myself a teacher. A lot of water has flowed from under the bridge and times have changed. We have made astounding progress in multifarious ways but whether we are happier than our forefathers still remains to be a favourite topic in school debates.

Something is not quite right and though our country has done itself proud in many ways the collective attitude and outlook of our nation leaves much to be desired.I have always felt that a person is mainly the product of the education system he has been through and so if you want to have a nation of upright, patriotic and law abiding citizens you have to ensure that the education they receive, that is if they are lucky enough to receive education, is geared to achieve that objective. I feel sorry for a society in which a teacher can not feel proud of being a teacher, a society in which your antecedents rather than your abilities determine your place and status. Education is defined as a process of training and instruction which is designed to give knowledge, develop skills and train the mind and character. Is education in Pakistan, on the whole, achieving these objectives? Much as I would like to answer in the affirmative, I cannot.

The three entirely incompatible systems of private, English medium schools, the state-run Government schools and the religious seminaries or ‘madrassahs’ exist side by side. Within these three major systems there are many sub-systems….all far removed from one another and each following its own agenda and each producing students who share a country but little else.

In a recent survey undertaken by Idara Taleem-o-Agahi, 32,323 children surveyed in the 3-5 age group, 57.3pc were not enrolled in any school. Of those enrolled, 67. 6pc were in government schools, 29.3pc in private schools, 2.7pc in madressahs and 0.4pc in ‘other’ institutions. Girls’ enrollment stood at 42.2 per cent.

The average school teacher, who has to keep up appearances in accordance with his white-collared existence, is so bowed down under economic pressures that lofty ideals and sublime notions do not hold water for him. He resents his place in society and the status it has afforded him and this resentment inevitably manifests itself in his treatment of his students, sometimes consciously but most of the time inadvertently.Thus a vicious circle, of sorts, is created. Any pupil who does not come up to his expectations is told with unequivocal authority that he is a fool, a dunce of the highest order and deserves all the ridicule the teacher can muster. The pupil justifiably starts thinking of himself as a fool and a dunce and eventually loses any self-respect or self confidence he had. School and all things associated become an anathema. So much talent and promise can go down the drain because of the improvidence of one teacher.

If you think about it we are a nation of critics, criticizing sometimes just for the sake of criticism and sometimes to prove our non-existent superiority. The aim is always to find fault. This attitude is, to a certain extent, a ramification of what we learn at school where any mistakes in work are always highlighted but strengths or virtues are conveniently ignored. I remember a discussion I once had with an Examiner of the Cambridge University, U K. In my naivete I had expressed some reservations about their marking methodology, saying that it was too slack. He had replied that they focus on a pupil’s strengths whereas, he felt, that we focus on his weaknesses; their system was designed to award marks, ours to deduct them! His remarks struck me as being particularly pertinent as the ‘empty half’ of the glass always seems to hold more appeal for us.

I firmly believe that intrinsically all humans are good and there is a latent genius within every child. The process of education should discover that genius and polish it so that each child can grow up to play a productive and positive role in the society. Each child is unique and his individuality must be catered to.  Humans are diverse not only in their appearance and culture but also in the way they assimilate knowledge. Different pupils respond to different ways of teaching. Sadly, teachers want their pupils to be tailor made to their liking and those who do not measure up to their standards and meet their expectations are, at best, ignored. It is extremely easy to be a judge and rather difficult to be a lawyer. There is a wide discrepancy between the theory we learn and its practice. Some times we know what we know ‘so much’ that we start believing that we actually practise it; and the easiest person to fool is always one’s own self!There is something intrinsically wrong with our education system. The curriculum, even at the primary level, shows disregard of moral, social and intellectual values and a lack of imagination and understanding on the part of those who formulate it.

A seven year old has a heavy load of books to carry to school every day, the teachers have to contend with an overly ambitious syllabus and are required to ‘finish’ it in the designated time. Both are so over burdened with their respective obligations that they lose interest and teaching and learning, at best, become perfunctory. Consequently what is regarded as learning actually becomes memorising without understanding. The child adapts himself to his circumstances and manages to memorise long answers and reproduce them in the examination, thus meriting a good result and the praise of his family and teachers. One little problem! He has not ‘learned’ any thing. The child fails to develop an analytical mind and whatever natural and creative ability he has becomes totally dormant. From the very beginning the system makes a child dependent. He does not think because he does not have to.

The result oriented system of examinations has led to corrupt practices and schools and colleges concentrate on producing good results often without actually imparting quality education. The Examination Boards are rife with corruption and disorganization and are protected by a ruling of the High Court because of which their decisions can not be challenged in a court of law. This gives them a vast ambit to do as they please with little fear of accountability!

Ideally, a school should aim to provide an environment which facilitates learning rather than teaching.Education at primary level is of the highest importance and ironically the most neglected in our country. Unfortunately teaching, in our society, is not considered a specialized vocation; half the time it is a stepping stone to better opportunities and if one doesn’t come along, well…it’s better than nothing, isn’t it? It is an undeniable fact that the destiny of the whole nation rests on the shoulders of the primary school teachers.

It is regrettable that many institutions do not realise this fact and employ untrained and unqualified teachers who, instead of encouraging and inspiring their impressionable proteges, often do the opposite. Teacher training and professional development institutes must be set up on a broad base with a view to train teachers and keep them up to date with the changing trends in pedagogy. Students must also realise that a teacher’s role is that of a facilitator and the spirit of inquiry and self growth should always remain with them; even after they ‘finish’ their studies.

Education must be aimed to inculcate a spirit of discipline in the student. Discipline is a way of thinking, the ability to have a sense of proportion, to see things clearly and objectively. It is the faculty that guides us and helps us ‘to do the right thing’ and shun the temptation to do wrong. . A child has to be taught by percept and also by example. If he feels that what is being preached is not being practised he will never take it seriously and will end up being confused and uncertain. We all, especially young children, are extremely impressionable creatures and are readily influenced by  external stimuli and impetus. Thus a child learns what he lives with.The fact that academic standards have deteriorated so much that our degrees are considered dubious is of course a cause of grave concern but what has led to this state of affairs is the more important issue.

We are not trustworthy, our integrity is no longer above board; we have become degenerate.When a nation becomes degenerate in the field of education, the degeneration manifests itself in every sphere of life. Every ‘enlightened’ person knows in his heart that our life is not bound by what we publicly profess. Even the scriptures of Islam, the complete code of life and the core of our faith, are bent or ignored to suit our desires or preferences. We seldom ‘ say what we mean and mean what we say’. Hypocrisy is evident everywhere. How long can a society survive on hypocrisy?I do realise that we have our own peculiar socio-economic and geographical limitations and our resources are limited and so we can not operate on the same level as certain other ‘developed’ countries.

Nevertheless some virtues like honesty of purpose and integrity are not dependent on resources, praise be to Allah. It is said that the human instinct never lies. Every sane person always knows the difference between right and wrong and if he can rise above his personal desires and prejudices and find the strength to do the right thing, all will be well. Let us set our priorities straight and pave the way for a brighter future. If we can somehow manage to ‘educate’ our children in the real sense of the word the world will become a better place.  May Allah grant us the wisdom, fortitude and perseverance to do just that. Amen!