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Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement that the government will end the British education system is perhaps the most unviable attempt at tabdeeli yet. The move will not just place thousands of students aspiring to get in foreign universities and firms at risk but will eliminate an already well-established modern education system.
Imran Khan is himself the product of the British education system. He studied at renowned schools in Lahore and the prestigious Oxford University. He mingled among the British elite and is still well known in social circles. A statement by him that the British ruined the education system was unexpected, to say the least.
The prime minister’s audience when he gave this statement were madrassah students. These seminaries have gained notoriety as dens of religious extremism and terrorism. Did the prime minister intend to appease them? After all, the government is struggling to bring madrassah reforms facing stiff resistance from religious groups.
Currently, there are three parallel education systems functioning in the country. British-born O/A-Levels, the local secondary school system, and religious seminaries. Imran Khan’s government wants to merge all three into one education system to provide a level playing field. This is a rather courageous step but what curriculum uniformity implies remains unanswered.
Education minister Shafqat Mehmood has been working on curriculum uniformity for a while and wants it implemented next year. Will it end disparities among students who live in diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and have different learning skills? This may put them at a disadvantage instead.
Earlier, the prime minister had said that a uniform curriculum was essential to create ‘one nation’ i.e. an ideologically unified Pakistan. Diverse nations with a rich culture cannot be indoctrinated; only when we learn to accept our differences will we become a progressive nation.
The implementation of a uniform curriculum will be littered with obstacles and is likely to be met by resistance from students and teachers. Will a person from Punjab be taught about Bhittai or someone in rural Sindh understand Bulleh Shah? Have we gained anything from the compulsory study of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat? Many textbooks are rife with distortions and misconceptions and now these will be taught to all us.
British colonialism still affects our society as they ruled with the divide and conquer policy. The British attempted to modernise the education system by focusing on the dominance of the English language. The biggest loss was that local education lost esteem and its touch. Does the prime minister want to revive the education system which the British snatched from us?
If the government wants to end the British education system, it should be a long-term goal. In the meantime, it is necessary to develop our local education system and bring it at par with the British system. The new policy will impact every child’s education and careers; it is a decision that should not be rushed.
