What's Wrong with Pakistani Education System? A Comparative Analysis
Consistent decline in Pakistan's education system is a complex and multifaceted question that requires a comprehensive and nuanced analysis. However, in this article, I tried to provide a brief overview of some of the main factors that have contributed to the decline in Pakistan's education system.
One of the major challenges facing Pakistan's education system is the lack of adequate and equitable funding. According to the UNICEF, Pakistan spends only 2.8% of its GDP on education, which is well below the recommended 4% target [1]. Moreover, the allocation and distribution of education resources is often influenced by political and bureaucratic interests, resulting in regional and gender disparities [2]. For instance, in Sindh, 52% of the poorest children (58% girls) are out of school, while in Balochistan, 78% of girls are out of school [2].
Another key factor is the lack of policy implementation and enforcement. Pakistan has formulated several education policies since its independence, aiming to improve access, quality, and relevance of education [3]. However, these policies have often faced resistance from various stakeholders, such as religious groups, feudal elites, and private sector actors, who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo or promoting their own agendas [4]. Furthermore, the frequent changes in political regimes and the devolution of education to the provincial level have created instability and inconsistency in the education system [4].
A third factor is the poor quality and relevance of education. Pakistan's education system suffers from outdated and rigid curriculum, defective examination system, low teacher quality and training, inadequate physical facilities, and weak supervision and management [5]. These issues affect the learning outcomes and skills development of the students, making them ill-prepared for the demands of the global market and the challenges of the 21st century[5]. Moreover, the education system does not adequately address the diverse needs and aspirations of the students, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities, religious minorities, refugees, and persons with disabilities[6].
It is difficult to single out one government regime that has made the worst education development decisions, as each regime has had its own strengths and weaknesses, and has faced different constraints and opportunities. However, some of the regimes that have been widely criticized for their negative impact on education include the military dictatorships of Ayub Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf, and the civilian governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif [7,8,9]. These regimes have been accused of neglecting, politicizing, or Islamizing the education system, and of failing to implement the necessary reforms and innovations [7,8,9].
Critical Reasons for Poor Performance
Some of the key reasons behind poor education standards of Pakistani universities are:
- Lack of adequate budget allocation for education by the government [10,11,12]
- Lack of policy implementation and monitoring of quality standards
- Faulty examination system and outdated curriculum [11,12,13]
- Poor physical infrastructure and facilities of educational institutions [11,12,13]
- Lack of teacher quality, training and development [11,12,13]
- Lack of research, innovation and academia-industry linkage [11,12,14]
Global Ranking
As for the country's global research ranking, Pakistan ranked 50th out of 93 countries in the Scimago Institutions Rankings 2023, based on the research output and impact of its institutions [14]. The best-ranked institution in Pakistan was COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, which ranked 1450th in the world [14]. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, Pakistan had 21 universities in the top 1000 list, with Quaid-i-Azam University being the highest-ranked at 401-500 [15,16]. Pakistan also improved its performance in the citations for research publications, indicating the quality and relevance of its research [16].
Pakistan's education and research ranking compared with other countries in South Asia is as follows:
- Pakistan has the "lowest" adult literacy rate (59.13%) among the eight South Asian countries, followed by Afghanistan (43.02%) and Nepal (66.91%) [17].
- Pakistan also has the lowest duration of compulsory education (5 years) among the eight South Asian countries, followed by Bangladesh and Nepal (8 years each) [17].
- Pakistan ranks sixth out of eight South Asian countries in the Scimago Institutions Rankings 2023, based on the research output and impact of its institutions[19]. India ranks first, followed by Iran and Turkey [19].
- Pakistan ranks seventh out of eight South Asian countries in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, based on the teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income of its universities [20]. India ranks *first*, followed by Iran and Turkey [20].
These comparisons show that Pakistan lags behind most of its South Asian neighbors in terms of education and research quality and performance. Pakistan needs to invest more in its education sector and improve its policies and standards to catch up with the regional and global trends.
References:
(1) An Overview of Educational Policies of Pakistan (1947-2020). https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f0b9/d54d8bdbc3f0e8117f8496098170fecc20fb.pdf.
(2) Education | UNICEF Pakistan. https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/education.
(3) Education Policies in Pakistan - Ibtidah for Education. https://ibtidahforeducation.com/education-policies-of-pakistan/.
(4) Pakistan and Commitments to Education - الأمم المتحدة. https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/newfunct/pdf/2011_amr_pakistan_june_2011.pdf.
(5) Education in Pakistan: problems, challenges and their solution - The Nation. https://www.nation.com.pk/13-Apr-2023/education-in-pakistan-problems-challenges-and-their-solution.
(6) Education in Pakistan: problems, challenges and perspectives. https://www.pakistangulfeconomist.com/2022/08/29/education-in-pakistan-problems-challenges-and-perspectives/.
(7) Critical Analysis of the Problems of Education in Pakistan: Possible .... https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1091681.pdf.
(8) Right to education - Newspaper - DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1556505.
(9) Education Rankings by Country 2023 - World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/education-rankings-by-country.
(10) Education in Pakistan: problems, challenges and perspectives. https://www.pakistangulfeconomist.com/2022/08/29/education-in-pakistan-problems-challenges-and-perspectives/.
(11) Pakistan’s Broken Education System – The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2016/10/pakistans-broken-education-system/.
(12) Critical Analysis of the Problems of Education in Pakistan: Possible .... https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1091681.pdf.
(13) Research and Innovation Rankings - Pakistan 2023. https://www.scimagoir.com/rankings.php?country=PAK.
(14) Best universities in Pakistan 2024 | Student - Times Higher Education (THE). https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-pakistan.
(15) 21 Pakistani universities feature in the 2022 THE World University Rankings. https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/21-pakistani-universities-feature-2022-world-university-rankings.
(16) International rankings of Pakistan - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_rankings_of_Pakistan.
(17) Education Rankings by Country 2023 - World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/education-rankings-by-country.
(18) Education in the Asia-Pacific region - statistics & facts | Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/10023/education-in-the-asia-pacific-region/.
(19) South Asia | Ranking Web of Universities: Webometrics ranks 30000 .... https://www.webometrics.info/en/Asia_Pacifico/South%20Asia.
(20) The 10 best Asian Countries to Study Abroad (2023 Update) - EHL Insights. https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/best-asian-countries-to-study-abroad-rankings.
(21) South East Asia - Webometrics Ranking of World Universities. https://www.webometrics.info/en/Asia_Pacifico/South%20East%20Asia.
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