Politics

The decline in the quality of education in Pakistan is a complex issue with multiple interconnected factors. Here’s a breakdown of the primary causes:
1. Insufficient Funding and Resources:
* Low budget allocation: Pakistan consistently allocates a low percentage of its GDP to education, hindering infrastructure development, resource provision, and teacher salaries.
* Lack of facilities: Many schools, especially in rural areas, suffer from a severe lack of basic resources like sufficient classrooms, clean water, electricity, and up-to-date learning materials.
* Under-resourced institutions: Teacher training institutions and schools in impoverished areas often lack the necessary financial and human resources to provide quality education.
2. Poor Quality of Teachers and Teacher Training:
* Shortage of well-trained teachers: Despite increased hiring, a significant shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in public schools and for subjects like mathematics, science, and English, persists.
* Inadequate teacher training: Many teacher education programs are outdated, lack standardization, and offer limited practical training. In-service training is often infrequent, of low quality, and not systematically implemented.
* Demotivation and absenteeism: Factors like low salaries, poor working conditions, and a lack of professional development opportunities can lead to demotivated teachers and high absenteeism.
* Teachers teaching out of their field: Many teachers are assigned subjects outside their area of training, further compromising the quality of instruction.
3. Curriculum and Examination System Issues:
* Outdated and inconsistent curriculum: The curriculum often lacks uniformity across provinces and is frequently outdated, failing to meet local needs or incorporate modern pedagogical techniques.
* Lack of focus on critical thinking: The curriculum often emphasizes rote learning over critical thinking and creativity, hindering students’ overall intellectual development.
* Overloaded content: The curriculum can be overloaded, leading to a focus on covering vast amounts of information rather than ensuring quality learning.
* Substandard examination system: The examination system is often criticized for being unable to accurately measure the true qualities and understanding of students.
* Political influence and bureaucratic delays: Curriculum development is often subject to political interference and bureaucratic inefficiencies, preventing timely and effective reforms.
4. Socioeconomic Factors and Access Barriers:
* Poverty: Poverty is a major barrier to education. Many families cannot afford school fees, uniforms, or supplies. Economic necessity often forces children to drop out of school to work and support their families, perpetuating a cycle of illiteracy.
* High dropout rates: There are alarming dropout rates, particularly at the primary level, due to financial constraints, lack of interest, and perceived irrelevance of education.
* Gender and regional disparities: Significant disparities exist in literacy rates and access to education between urban and rural areas, as well as between genders, with girls and children in rural communities being disproportionately affected.
* Parental illiteracy and concerns: Illiteracy among parents and their concerns about safety, particularly for female students, can also contribute to low enrollment.
5. Governance and Policy Implementation:
* Political interference and corruption: Political interference in the education system, mismanagement of funds, nepotism in hiring, and bribery undermine the integrity and effectiveness of education policies.
* Weak accountability and supervision: Inadequate supervision and tracking of educational institutions lead to poor performance and a lack of accountability.
* Lack of consistent policy implementation: Despite numerous policies and ambitious targets, the government has struggled to effectively implement reforms and achieve universal primary education goals.
* Security threats: In some regions, security threats, including attacks on schools, create an unsafe learning environment and deter parents from sending their children to school.
Addressing the decline in education quality in Pakistan requires a comprehensive and sustained effort from the government, communities, and educators to tackle these multifaceted challenges.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has recently decided to abolish the Rs35 PTV fee that is currently charged to domestic and industrial electricity consumers through their electricity bills in Pakistan.
This decision comes as part of the government’s efforts to provide relief to the public and eliminate unnecessary surcharges. The PTV fee has been collected for decades, generating approximately Rs1.5 billion monthly from around 42.6 million consumers.
While the decision has been made, an official announcement from the federal government is expected soon, and details regarding the implementation timeline are likely to be announced in the coming days. This move signifies a potential shift in how Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) will be financed in the future.

An increase in Pakistan’s defense budget is often considered inevitable due to a complex interplay of internal and external factors:
1. Perceived Threat from India:
* Historical Context: Pakistan and India have a long history of adversarial relations, including multiple wars and frequent border clashes. This historical animosity fosters a deep-seated “security threat” perception in Pakistan’s defense planning.
* Arms Race: The ongoing arms race with India necessitates Pakistan to continually modernize and upgrade its military capabilities to maintain a deterrent posture.
* Recent Tensions: Recent escalations in tensions, such as border incidents and alleged terror attacks, often lead to calls for increased defense spending to enhance preparedness and national security.
2. Internal Security Challenges:
* Terrorism and Insurgency: Pakistan faces significant internal threats from various militant and terrorist groups, particularly in regions like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Combating these threats requires substantial resources for counter-terrorism operations, intelligence gathering, and maintaining law and order.
* Sectarian Violence: Societal violence and sectarianism also contribute to the need for a strong internal security apparatus.
3. Geopolitical Environment and Strategic Alliances:
* Regional Instability: Pakistan’s location in a volatile region, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, adds to its security concerns. Regional instability and the presence of various non-state actors necessitate a robust defense.
* Strategic Alliances: While foreign military aid has historically helped Pakistan’s defense capabilities, it also influences its spending decisions and procurement needs.
4. Maintaining Deterrence:
* Nuclear Program: Pakistan’s nuclear program is a key component of its deterrence strategy against India. Maintaining and modernizing this program requires consistent financial investment.
* Conventional Forces: Beyond nuclear deterrence, Pakistan aims to maintain a credible conventional force to respond to various threats and ensure territorial integrity.
5. Domestic Political Dynamics:
* Influence of the Military: The military has historically played a significant role in Pakistan’s political landscape, and its influence often ensures that defense allocations remain a priority in national budgets.
* National Security Imperative: Political parties often find broad support for increasing defense spending, especially during times of heightened security threats, as it is framed as a matter of national survival and sovereignty.
6. Indigenous Defense Industry and Modernization:
* Self-Reliance: There is an ongoing effort to develop an indigenous defense industry to reduce reliance on foreign imports and enhance self-sufficiency in military hardware. This requires investment in research, development, and manufacturing capabilities.
* Technological Advancement: Keeping pace with technological advancements in warfare necessitates continuous investment in new weapons systems, surveillance, and defense technologies.
While Pakistan’s economy often struggles with debt and fiscal deficits, the perception of an existential threat and the need for national security often override economic constraints, making an increase in the defense budget an almost unavoidable aspect of its national policy.