Prioritization of education termed critical for national development

There is a dire need for prioritizing education and research in national planning, as this is the only way forward to address the present and future challenges.

These views were expressed by Prof Dr Fakhr-ul-Islam, director, research and academic outreach at IPS, and Arshad Saeed Khan, senior educationist, during a meeting between IPS team and a delegation of PhD-EPM (Education Planning and Management) scholars from the Department of Educational Planning, Policy Studies and Leadership (EPPSL), Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, headed by Dr Afshan Huma, assistant professor, EPPSL, AIOU, on June 8, 2023.

Citing on the occasion the example of public education system and education policy of the Meiji era in Japan, Khan said that the literacy rate in Pakistan can only be increased with the modernization of the education system.

There is a dire need to give education a high priority, he stressed. Lamenting that the politicians give preference to short-term investments with only visible outcomes and neglect education because it is a long-term investment, the academic maintained that despite the limitations like fiscal and political pressures, government institutions should be keen to take projects from donors and invest in education, which would have long-term development benefits.

Another factor that deteriorates education planning, according to Khan, was the lack of legal support behind education policies. He pointed out that legal and financial support were necessary for ensuring commitment and bringing about change in the education system of Pakistan.

Adding to this, Prof Dr Fakhr-ul-Islam stressed that scholars can make a difference by conducting actual research on these issues and finding a viable and applicable solution that can be presented to policymakers. He further stated that the attitude of many emerging scholars towards research was disheartening and was only resulting in widening the gap between academia and policy circles.

The talk was followed by a discussion and exchange of ideas with PhD scholars.