PTI Government Has Introduced National Education Policy Framework 2018 & This Is What We Think About It

Prime Minister Imran Khan had pledged in his inaugural address to the nation that he and his government would take all possible measures to bring Pakistan’s over 20 million out-of-school children in the educational fold. Unlike any other Head of the State that Pakistan has seen before, Khan did not merely read out figures but he made a passionate proclamation of protecting the future of the country’s most marginalized children. Khan’s words had made even his biggest critics come out praising his resolve to eliminate illiteracy from the country.

As a first step towards the fulfillment of the Prime Minister’s promise, the Minister of Federal Education and Training Shafqat Mehmood  announced National Education Policy Framework 2018. The announcement came at the heels of the completion of the first 100 days since PTI came into power in Pakistan.

What Does the National Education Policy Framework 2018 Say?

Leave No Child Behind

The first and the most important aspect of the policy framework reiterates the Government’s resolve to bring more than 20 million out of school children into the educational fold.

A Uniform Education System

At present, Pakistan has three types of education systems, i.e. public schools, private schools and madrassahs. Each school system has its own curriculum and teaching methodology.

As per the Federal Minister, under the new policy a uniform system of education with a uniform syllabus will be introduced across the board.

Improvement in the Quality of Education

The Framework also promises to improve the quality of education with special emphasis on skill development. The focus here is to provide children with “market-oriented” education that would enable them to open employment avenues for them as they transition into adulthood.

Transition from Primary to Secondary Education

As pointed out by a number of civil society organizations working on education, one of the biggest challenges faced by Pakistan in the realm of education is the absence of middle and secondary schools. The framework speaks at length about how it would enable children to transition from primary to middle schools by creating new infrastructure on one hand and by initiating evening classes for grades six and higher in the facilities that cater for primary level students in the morning.

There is also talk about introducing SMART Schools through which children can access classrooms virtually while sitting at home.

More Teachers to be Trained

Of course, for students to transition from primary to middle and secondary schools, infrastructure is not the only requirement. More importantly, the country needs trained teachers who can effectively deliver subjects at higher levels. For this reason, National Education Policy Framework 2018 pledges to recruit more teachers and train existing ones.

An Educational Volunteer Programme will also be introduced to address the dearth of teachers in the country.

What’s the Verdict?

On the whole the Framework is actually one of the most comprehensive that we’ve seen in over a decade. It doesn’t rely on cliches to sound intelligent and is instead coming from a place that is aware of the most pressing issues vis-a-vis Pakistan’s education crises and offers solutions – even if some of them might seem far-fetched at first glance.

However, that said, the policy framework has one glaring flaw….

Of the estimated 22.8 million out-of-school children in Pakistan, 13 million (or 53%) are girls. Pakistan’s education emergency can possibly not be addressed without making a dedicated effort to bring girls to school.

While the Framework talks at length about bringing 20 million+ children to school, it seems to miss the fact that unlike boys, there are many socio-cultural barriers that stand in the way of a girl-child’s education.

So, while creating new schools and training teaching staff are both important steps in the right direction, the government will have to come up with a comprehensive plan – which among other things should include elaborate and long-term behaviour change campaigns, a blanket ban on underage marriages and the strict implementation of Article 25-A – to ensure that girls actually end-up seeing the inside of a school.

“…and one more thing…”

The Framework speaks about creating new middle schools and (again) while this is an important first step, we must realize now – rather than a decade later – that unless our children have access to at least 12 years of free and quality education, their chances of a brighter future and their ability to break free from the cycle of poverty will remain limited.

This needs to be factored in while devising the policy and the ambit of Article 25-A should also, accordingly be enhanced to pledge 12 years of free and quality education for every Pakistani child.