Let Us Uplift Pakistan, Volunteer To Be a Teacher
Educators in our country have gone from Facilitators to Businessmen, From Teachers to Politicians and from Humans to Money making machines.In this time of educational decline that our country has been bestowed upon, it is time for an uplift. An uplift of our communities and minorities (religious and gender) though equality in education. And we as humans can make a larger than life impact in the lives of our people, merely by volunteering to teach.
As Pakistanis, our recent generations have been psychologically conditioned with commercialization. For us education has become a commodity.
“If it does not sell, it is useless and if there are no huge profit margins you are wasting your time.” Says the 30 year old tuition teacher Asad, while conversing him about views on recent tuition and teaching trends.
We can’t turn away from the fact that Pakistan has not even achieved the dreamed of 4% budget for education. And even with present year increase, the percentage has not been achieved. According to an article in a local website by Riaz ul Haq ‘In June a federal education budget of Rs 86.4 billion was declared, which is 1.6 per cent less than the revised estimate of last year.’
UNESCO Institute for Statistics survey (“Adjusted net enrollment ratio in primary education”. UNESCO) claims that Pakistan faces a net primary school attendance rate for both sexes of 66 percent. This is a figure far below estimated world average of 90 percent.
In Pakistan, According to EFA global monitoring report (2012; 2013) gender discrimination in education occurs amongst the poorest households but is non-existent amongst rich households. Only 18% of Pakistani women have received 10 years or more of schooling.
Apart from the government funds, there are organizations that work to provide education in the country. There are currently 9 Multilateral Organizations and 9 Bilateral Organizations working for education provision in the country.
With inflation rates, and low attention paid to education budget, there are many people out there who let go of their dreams. And to most under privileged dreams are only for those who can afford to.
Government institutes are now increasing the quota ratios of private extra fee paying seats to government merit seats. One such example is a recent step taken by the National college of Arts Lahore by increasing self-finance seats) to create more opportunities for willing art students. I am no one to criticize any step taken by any education imparting center. With hardly any increase in budgets by the government, what else should institutes do? But I can raise a question of how, in this increasing trend in privatization and commercialization of education, can we impart education to those who are underprivileged and yet deserving?
The answer is simple, we as citizens need to make a difference.
There are some people and organizations in Pakistan, which has taken up to this task of spreading knowledge. But they are fewer in number.
The Citizens Foundation (TCF) is one of the largest non-profit organization in Pakistan in the field of education. Established in 1995, by a group of like-minded citizens in Karachi. The vision of TCF is to bring a positive change in Pakistan by providing quality education to the less-privileged youth. TCF has extended its network to 1000 active School Units, and provides education to 145,000 underprivileged students nationwide.
Another such small scale example is Ghinwa Bhutto’s political office in Karachi, which has opened a free tuition center and is often looking for volunteer teachers to help out children who do not have access to education and schools. Currently it has only 50 students, the free tuition school hopes to expand as more people volunteer.
Hazara community of Quetta and their hard work for community uplift can be seen through students and teachers coming together to help out those who can’t afford but have the skill. One such person is ‘Sketch Club’ owner 54-year-old drawing instructor, FazilMousavi.
Fazil offers drawing lessons for a small fee, but charges nothing from those who cannot afford to pay. Also AminUllah a student of National college of Arts Lahore who belongs to the Hazara community helps arranging summer camps and art classes for students in Quetta for a negligible fee of 200 (two hundred) rupees. Amin says “This fee of 200 rupees can hardly make a difference to us but it is just to make sure the student is serious. If they can’t even pay that, we don’t push them to.”
We as citizens and most importantly as humans need to create a ripple effect of education around us. We don’t always need funds to pass on what we know. To pass on a skill we have. We as humans are capable of much more humanly efforts. Like we pass smiles and love, we also have the ability to pass knowledge. We need teachers who are sincere to themselves, and their profession.
Most importantly we need to uplift Pakistan ourselves. I think for over 67 years we have seen that relying on promises of those in power is just a mirage we are running after.