Education System

The Education System of Pakistan

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES

Why we need an education system?

Education is the basic necessity for a human being to understand the matters in all fields of life and to solve problems from basic to complex. Without education a sensible person cannot survive and it is as significant as food is to body.

It is wealth and power for a person, which can be easily used by person whenever and wherever it requires. As the saying goes; knowledge is power.

It is more important for one’s life. It helps a person to groom and to adjust on a respectable position in society.

It is one important policy that a state must promote, as education is the only means to understand its history, culture and to some extent their religion. Education is the only means to unite a country and people as a nation.

Present system of education in Pakistan

The education system of Pakistan consists of junior to higher education. The duration of compulsory education is from age5 to 15.

Structure of school system: 

Primary
Type of school providing this education: Primary School

Length of program in years: 5 

Age level from: 5 to 10

Middle
Type of school providing this education: Middle School

Length of program in years: 3 

Age level from: 10 to: 13 

Secondary
Type of school providing this education: Secondary School

Length of program in years: 2 

Age level from: 13 to: 15

Certificate/diploma awarded: Secondary School Certificate or Matriculation
Secondary education is divided into three cycles. Students are given certificates after they pass Secondary or Matriculation Examination. They may then study for specializing in Science or Arts. After that, they take the examinations for the Intermediate Certificate or Higher Secondary School Certificate. 

Technical Secondary

Type of school providing this education: Technical Secondary School

Length of program in years: 2 

Age level from: 15 to: 17

Certificate/diploma awarded: Secondary School Certificate (in Technical Subjects)

Higher Secondary

Type of school providing this education: Intermediate Colleges

Length of program in years: 2 

Age level from: 15 to: 17

Certificate/diploma awarded: Intermediate Certificate Or Higher Secondary School
Certificate.

Higher Education

Universities and professional universities provide higher education. Universities are autonomous organizations founded by the central or provincial parliament. The senate, the syndicate and the academic council are the main university bodies responsible for matters concerning studies. The University Grants Commission serves as a clearing house for development schemes of the universities; provides support to centers of excellence, area study centers and Pakistan study centers; supports research fellowships and research programs; and organizes pre-service and in-service training of university teachers. 

Ways to improve the system

Currently, there exist many obstacles on the road to a smoothly functioning system. These include political interference, corruption, over-centralization, a lack of school autonomy, underdeveloped managerial capacity and poor information systems.

Initial step is the decentralization of decision-making, which means government should develop partnerships with NGOs and the private sector to hand over responsibility effectively to achieve universal primary education. It can improve education administration.

A second step which is necessary for improving the system is greater independence for the schools because schools do not have control over issues like curriculum, teacher appointment, discipline, and evaluation. There are virtually no opportunities for local staff development programs or resource mobilization. 

A third important reform is providing better support to, supervision of, and coordination of the school system at the district and provincial level. By making the district the key level for planning and management, state-level and central education bodies can focus more on policy-making, resource management and regulation. 

One way to do this is by promoting good principals and teachers at the school level to enhance the institutional capacity of district level organizations. The lack of sufficient manpower is the most serious problem at the district and sub-district level. 

A fourth necessary reform is to encourage decision-making based on educational, not political, considerations. At present, politicians hand out teaching jobs as patronage appointments. Federal and provincial funds provided for education sometimes remain unused, especially in rural areas.

Reforms in the education system

The necessary reform is to expand the information and research base of education in Pakistan. Effective management and administration of the education system depends on the quality of the information system. Without reliable information, decision-makers cannot improve education policy and programs at the national, district and school levels. 

One way of collecting reliable information about the state of education is to conduct standardized testing that measures student performance against national curriculum goals. These can be used to compare learning achievement across schools, districts and regions over time. 

There is also a need for better research. Pakistan currently has one institution that conducts research on educational issues, the Academy of Educational Planning and Management, which conducts research on basic education. However, its abilities are hampered by inadequate funds, no institutionalized basis for collecting, processing and analyzing data, no technical support staff and little influence in policy making.