As Italian Marxist philosopher once said that It is not enough to have critique of an old dominant system but revolutionaries, to bring Utopian and egalitarian society, must have to develop a concrete alternative theoretical system as well. Therefore, after thoroughly understanding some of the existing literature, ten most important point have been extracted which, if implemented, can help Pakistan’s basic education’s sector survive in the coming age of bioinformatics and automation. This 10-points agenda is following:
1. All regular schools (from KG to 12th) must be made public with no tuition and admissions fee along with free books or in other words complete elimination of private education at all level.
2. Management of each school must be decentralized. (administrative issues/funds related to school must be administered by local/village council through parent-teacher committee directly or indirectly through the selection of suitable principal/head by this parent-teacher committee)
3. There must be only three subjects(Math, Urdu and local language such as Punjabi/Sindhi/Pashto/Balochi etc.) from KG to 3rd grade; four subjects(Math, Science, Urdu, local language) from 4th to 5th Grade; five subjects(Math, Science, English, Urdu, local language) from 6th to 8th grade; six subjects (3 related to Science including Math+ 2 languages(Urdu and English)+ 1 elective(Agriculture/Home-economics/Computer/Poetry/Physical-Education/Literature)) from 9th-10th and six subjects (3 field specific, 1-English+ 1 related to Human rights/morality +1 related to save nature/environment) in 11th and 12th.
4. All subjects, except Urdu and English, must be translated and taught in local language from KG to 12th grade. However, terminologies from foreign language can be used wherever necessary/convenient.
5. Religious education should not be the part of school curriculum and it must be individual parent’s responsibility.
6. While developing course contents of the local language, poetry, stories, and other related literature must be of local nature; and should be able to expose internal social and cultural contradictions, problems, and possible alternatives most relevant to that geographical area. Similarly, in English language; biographies, stories, poetry, drama and ideologies of personalities other than Pakistan’s must be taught so that students can be able to learn what has been happening around the world and what are the lessons to be drawn.
7. Learning duration for primary kids (KG-5th) must not exceed 3 hours a day; less than 5 hours for secondary school kids (6th-8th); and for high school children (9th-12th) it should not be more than 06 hours.
8. Second half of the day in each school should be reserved for extracurricular activities such as sports, poetry, painting etc. with proper availability of resources and instructors/coaches…
9. Government/Board must not print detailed explanation of any course-book from 9th to 12th grade, instead it should outline the topics/learning-outcomes and let the teacher/student decide course of learning.
10. Every school must be connected to an online library (video lectures, books, projects, and other learning related stuff), and develop/upload its own material as well. Moreover, a complete record of everything such as expenditures, funds received, student’s enrollment, performance, teachers/students attendance, facilities etc. should be maintained online with public access to information.
MUHAMMAD ISMAIL,
Sukkur.