The Secondary School Education needs a Policy Reform
Article written by Dr. Afshan Huma and Dr. Sidra Rizwan
The rapid technological developments have led to radical changes in the world of work. The new technologies are replacing the old ones. As the new technologies are knowledge-intensive, countries all over the world are obliged to upgrade and enhance the skill level of the human-resource of their countries. The paradigm shift from semi-skilled economies to knowledge-based economies has put a greater premium on skill-based education since this education directly relates to the world of work. Therefore, to enhance the skill level of the youth, there is a need to revitalize, modernize and harmonize secondary school education with the twenty first century skills. It is hoped that this would not only make the school education relevant, but would enhance the capacity of youth in the society, as well. For this purpose, it is imperative to embed skill-based education into the mainstream education for human capacity building.
The report by Alif Ailaan (2014) titled “25 Million Broken Promises” says that there are currently 25.02 million boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 16 who are not in school. “What’s worse, the proportion of out-of-school children (OOSC) increases as the level of education rises so that by the higher-secondary level almost 85% are not in school,” the report reveals. More than half (52%) of the out of school population between 5-16 years of age lives in Punjab.
The recent census report (2017) of Bureau of statistics Pakistan shows that the age group between 10-14 years comprises 13% of the total population; as per vision 2025 we need to focus on the development of human capital to make our country grow into a stronger economy. The education statistics report published by AEPAM (2016) shows a high dropout, the gross enrolment in primary schools is 74%; out of these only 66% enrolled students survive up to grade 5, and out of that 82% enroll in middle school from which 92% enroll at secondary school level. Hence only 37% of the students, who enrolled in primary school, are retained up to secondary school level (Governmentnbsp;ofnbsp;Pakistan, 2017). There are many reasons for schools not being able to attract and retain children in the mainstream education; one of the reasons identified by researchers time and again is irrelevant curriculum. (Gul, Gulshan and Ali, 2013). The strength of
Various efforts have been made in the Pakistan to include skill based subjects at secondary level of education. For instance, the agro technical subjects like industrial arts (woodwork, metal work, amp; electricity), agriculture, and home economics subjects were introduced but due to different barriers at various levels, the objectives could not be achieved accordingly. Similarly, 2001-2 the Matric Tech Stream was launched with the support of different international agencies like Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and UNESCO (Tirmazi, 2006). Tirmazi (2006) has identified various obstacles that led to the failure of the Matric Tech project, which include: shortage of facilities in terms of laboratory, equipment, qualified teachers; curriculum; and lack of commitment.
According to the UNESCO Report (2009) many schemes and plans were also made for vocational education at secondary level like Industrial Arts Scheme, Comprehensive Schools, and Technical Schools, etc. During the first decade of twenty first century various plans and schemes were made for a vocational / technical stream at secondary level. A plan was made for establishment of 70 Model Vocational Schools in various districts all over Pakistan for a total intake capacity of 12,250 but not materialized/ implemented due to change of government in the country. The report further elaborated that the formal Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system is not a major supplier of skills to the country's labour market. While theoretically it caters to the market needs, yet practically it meets a very small portion of the demand. In most countries, the relative share of the applied segment of the tertiary sector is higher than the 18.5% in Pakistan.
Hence, the base of technical and vocational skills provided to the economy in Pakistan is narrow. It asserts that the problem of a fragmented structure of governance, endemic to the education sector, also plagues the relevance of education to practical life. At the same time, the voices of important stakeholders such as the local industry and business sector are not adequately taken into account in shaping the content, structures and certification of study programs. As the manufacturing and services sectors have expanded, skill requirements of the country have changed as well, and there is need for multi-level life skills even in the traditional sector as it adopts more dynamic techniques of production (UNESCO, 2009).
For making the secondary school education more productive there must be options available for skill development courses. As per Minimum age Convention (1973) of International Labor Organization the age for admission to employment or work is at least 15 years hence skill development should ideally begin at the age of 13 years if not earlier, i.e. from the secondary school level. Integration of skill development and education is essential. Skill development will remain a dream if carried out in isolation through vocational training centers alone.
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Considering our present population dynamics, there is an acute need for training the young workforce, to channelize their energy in a productive way. In today's scenario there are ample opportunities that one can choose from and excel in. However, the national thought process is more clued on to the typical traditional academic streams and careers in the field of engineering, medicine, accounts, MBA etc. There have been numerous instances where a student is pushed into a particular field due to parental/peer pressure only to realize at a later stage in life about his/her passion or calling in life and to start all over again from scratch. Introduction to skill training at a young age will by all means give the student an opportunity to explore various options and accordingly, narrow down on a vocation of his/her liking.
For enabling every child to become economically active it has to be imparted in secondary schools alongside academics. Many courses in fields such as Hospitality and Tourism, Handicraft, Healthcare, Textiles, Photography, IT, Retail, Agriculture and Farming, etc can be added according to the demand of the area wise local community; for instance if a student opts for healthcare, he could learn the skill of blood-collection and later can add further courses to become full-fledged pathology technician or nurse; similarly if a student opts for motor repair as a skill development course while in secondary school, at a later stage, he can opt for a diploma or degree in automobile engineering. The pedagogy has to be practical; learning can be enhanced through field visits, e-learning, industry driven projects, digital or video inputs and so on. Contrary to our system in most developed countries and some of the developing ones, students are introduced to formal skill development at age 13 onwards i.e. at secondary school level onwards. The education systems in these countries also provide for opportunities to students to move laterally and vertically to achieve their academic aspirations in main stream education.
More than 30 percent of population of Pakistan is under the age of 15 years. This is a significant number of school-age individuals for whom we need to plan a curriculum that prepares them for the future job market. Currently, a student who passes a secondary school certificate is not equipped with any practical skill and cannot enter or create a job for himself/herself. If we prepare our youth effectively we can not only fulfill the requirement of trained manpower in Pakistan but can also capture the global job-market. In the past whenever such initiatives were introduced, the local disparities were never taken into account, and uniform approach was adopted across the country.
It has been mentioned in almost every other report for past 75 years that the public sector school system of Pakistan still puts maximum emphasis on bookish knowledge. Hence, when a student graduates from secondary or higher secondary school, s/he struggles to apply this knowledge in the real life scenario. From primary to upper secondary, the subjects covered in the school curricula are the languages (mother tongue/regional/foreign), mathematics, science and technology, social science, art education, physical training etc. It has been observed that the curricula neither cover components of employable skills nor is there any option to introduce students to different work options. Our education system does not consider the skill component in its curriculum.
There are also those students who are not able to cope with mainstream education mainly due to economic reasons and not necessarily academic in-capabilities. So what are the options available to them, such that they lead a dignified life without being exploited or being vulnerable? We had found an answer to this questions almost 45 years ago i.e. introducing skill training at a young age will go a long way in directing these students to opportunities that will have a larger impact on the general fabric of the workforce in this country. The detachment between education imparted and real life skills needed, results in lack of livelihood opportunities in Pakistan; it is a major contributor to youth unemployment and urban migration. In the absence of adequate opportunities to find gainful employment locally, many students discover that they do not even have the skill sets or confidence to set up their own venture. This results in waves of unskilled workers searching the job market.
The diversity and variety of culture and craft in Pakistan makes it even more challenging to plan a uniform curriculum which may develop the knowledge and skill sets relevant to the life of people belonging to different communities. Only in 1972 the education policy addressed the issue of skill based learning at schools. In response workshops and labs were established within schools but the problem was multidimensional. The range of skills and subjects was not inclusive of the diverse needs i.e. agriculture, animal husbandry in one locality, while health and basic engineering in another. In recent years Pakistan has emerged as a rapidly developing economy that has been embraced by China that is already one of the mega economies of the world; in the process of rapid economic development the epitome of which is CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor); for which the first and foremost requirement is skilled, qualified and professional human resource. In the current scenario technical and vocational education is only offered by specific institutions; while the mainstream education curriculum until 12 years of schooling does not include any kind of skill-based learning. Exploring the needs of local area we intend to identify and propose multi-skill and life skills training according to the need of the urban and rural communities to be incorporated in the secondary school curriculum.
Research provides evidence that building basic skills early on in life by broadening and improving the quality of secondary education is essential; yet it is also crucial to ensure that skills taught at secondary level are relevant to future needs. Currently people with low basic skills constitute a high proportion of the population in Pakistan; this leads to wastage of human capital. Pakistan is not in a position to afford such wastage any more. This should not be another lost opportunity; and the secondary school system should play a responsible role in making it a successful endeavor by focusing on reducing the skills mismatch, which will help the country in making the most of its workforce and local trade.
Educational Leader
10moThe article reflects insights into the problems of our education system. As an educationist, I have been observing these issues without the ability to make positive changes. Each passing day, the situation worsens. Both the public and private sectors lack technology and dedicated, trained teachers committed to improving the education system rather than focusing on financial gains.
Sustainable Development and Management Consultant
10moThanks Afshan! Great analysis and insight which I have also been thinking about. We need a lot more practical skills development worldwide.
Solutions Architect (Cloud & IoT) at Atos
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