KARACHI
‘Private school mafia’ is the main hindrance to the dream of ‘education for all’ in Pakistan, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Friday. He said commercialization of education is a big curse for Pakistani society. He said different chains of schools of private school mafia are looting parents with both hands. Even some middle income people by cutting their other costs try their best to send their children to these very expensive private schools. These schools are the main reason of inferiority complex in the children of low income families.
He said the government schools that in past were called ‘yellow schools’ are practically useless as their mostly are incompetent and their syllabus outdated. He said the government has no strategy to improve the lot of these government schools that devour billions of rupees in every budget. He said the training programs for the teachers of government schools are poorly structured and they are not raising their professional capabilities. Altaf Shakoor said the dream of universal education is still a dream in Pakistan. As per the Constitution of Pakistan education and healthcare is the responsibility of state, but such welfare state is yet to born in our country.
He said we have two education systems: one for the rich and other for the poor. This dual education system is training the children of the rich people to grab key posts, while it pushes the children of the poor deep below poverty and deprivation. He said our universities and colleges are producing an army of graduates that is virtually good for nothing. We are wasting the money of parents to give their children ‘paper degrees’ with no value in competitive job market.
He demanded that no student should be awarded degree unless he completes internship in some government or private institution related to his discipline of learning. He said startup culture should be introduced in colleges and universities and no student also be awarded a degree unless he forms a startup.
He asked to take action against the private school mafia and set a maximum and minimum benchmark of their fees and no school should be allowed to cross this benchmark.
