Ibtasam Thakur
LAHORE
The role of education as social agent is universally recognised. Social change always takes place when humans need change in society. Social change comes into action when existing social setup fails to understand and meet the needs of humans. Education always initiates to bring permanent changes in personality of human being.
In the second half of 20th century the role of education was overstressed to fulfill the needs of nation. Education is still used to serve as an agent to nation. Social changes take place as a result of multiple changes that take place in the social and non-social environment. Education can bring social changes in outlook and attitude of humans. It can initiate a change in the pattern of social relationships. Education empowers the individual. But individual can’t bring change solely. Societal change always comes from the collective transformation of people of society. Education is an independent institution now and it can bring change in every aspect of men’s life. Francis J. Brown remarks that Education is a process which brings about changes in the behavior of society. It is a process which enables every individual to effectively participate in the activities of society and to make positive contribution to the progress of society.
Most progressive people feel that the process of inquiry or problem-solving is the proper tool for managing change in society. Education should not be judged in terms of liability to provide employment to certain amount of people rather it should be judged on the basis of modern technology, and quality education provided to the poor and deprived people of society. Education, in this way, can turn the population into valuable and productive part of society.
There are three main deficiencies in the present education system in Pakistan. Firstly, the current education system does not meet the changing trends of society. Secondly, education has become merely a tool to get the source of employment and moral training. This is also a responsibility of education which is badly neglected. Thirdly, Education  has failed to provide value framework which may prepare such committed individual who help to pursue national goals to take their country at optimum level of development.
In viewing education as an agent of social change, the person who brings change is not ignorable. In the whole process teacher becomes agent of change, he or she becomes voice of poor and deprived people. He becomes social reformers and he imparts value framework to his students and eliminates inequalities which are generated on the basis of class, status, and colour and creed. There is a strong need to bring committed and trained teacher in education system especially at primary level. Mostly, in developed countries they emphasis on quality education at primary level in this way level of higher education automatically increase. But in developing countries main focus is on higher education. In the UNESCO-sponsored world assessment of the six EFA Goals, Pakistan was placed in the category of countries which would fail to achieve even one of the targets including primary education and literacy set for the year 2015.