Tehreem Hassan

Code: 8624

Level: B.Ed

(Assignment No 2)

Q.No.1: Highlight the characteristics of textbook, and give suggestions for improvising the quality of
textbooks.

Characteristics of Textbook

A textbook serves as a guide for a teacher and s student as well. Its content decides the destination of
the both. To my mind, a textbook provides foundation for the instructional process. This also motivates
the teachers and the students for instruction and learning. Here are some established and
acknowledged definitions of a textbook. A textbook are a basic book used in a particular course of study.

• A textbook is a book that is developed keeping in view particular curricular objectives, particular level
of education and students possessing specific cognitive abilities.

• The book that is developed for the purpose of seeking similarities in content and instructional activities
organized for the students of various educational institutions. The salient characteristics of a textbook
are mentioned in the following lines: Conformity with the objectives of curriculum: A standard textbook
conforms to the pre-determined objectives of curriculum. There must be coordination between the
content of textbook and the objectives of curriculum. To me, every textbook is the most significant
source of obtaining the curricular objectives. It fails in achieving the aims of curriculum, it will definitely
be regarded that there is no agreement and relationship between the content and the curricular
objectives.

Harmony with national ideology:-

Every nation leads life according to its philosophy of life which is reflected in the system of education.
This very philosophy of life is presented in the textbook contents so that the new generation may get
acquainted with it. A textbook is developed in the light of the segments of the national philosophy of
life. All aspects of a textbook mirror the national ideology. It is obligatory for the learned writers to
provide these necessary services in terms of the development of textbooks for the attainment of the
broad objectives of education.

Logical organization :-

A logical organization can be observed in the content, skills and other activities selected for the
textbook. The flow of information and skills should be from simple to complicated, know to the
unknown, easy to difficult and from abstract to concrete. The content of the textbook should be
integrated, balanced, sequenced and harmonized. It should not be disintegrated and parted. All
concepts presented in the textbook must be interlinked and logically connected so that they may assist
in understanding one another.

Conformity with the capabilities of the learners :-

A standard textbook must be harmonized with the interests, needs, psychological demands and mental
level of the student. In this situation, the students will take keen interest in the educative and
instructional process. Otherwise, the educative process will end in nothing. If the textbook content is not
in accordance with the psychological needs and cognitive level of the students, the students will exhibit
fatigue and disinterest which will lead ,to wastage of academic and educational sources. A good
textbook attracts the students in many ways if it is developed according to the established principles.

Unbiased content :-

The content and other learning experiences of a good textbook are unbiased and objective. There
should be no amalgamation of the personal aspirations and attachments of the writers in the contents
of the textbook. The textbook should be free from all those academic contents which hurt particular
class of the individuals or a school of thought. The content of the textbook must address the whole
mankind.

Comprehensiveness and simplicity :-

Comprehensiveness and simplicity are the two primary traits of a textbook. The content of the textbook
should be simple in nature and in presentation but should be comprehensive in impression and effect.
The content should cover all the aspects of human life. In this way, the comprehensive aims of
developing the personality of the individual shall be obtained. It is necessary for the developer of the
textbook to avoid from irrelevant material but they must keep in mind the principle of
comprehensiveness and simplicity during the development of the textbook.

Real-life experiences :-

A good textbook makes the individuals aware of the experiences of real life. Curriculum is concerned
with life and life is a reality. The experiences of life are the precious heritage of mankind. A textbook
must consist of the human heritage. This heritage is transmitted to the students in terms of a textbook.
Education is life and this life is presented in the textbook. In this regard, it seems necessary that the
students should be acquainted with the truths of life so they may solve the problems of life.

Presentation of the content :-

A psychological and logical order is observed in the presentation of a textbook. First of all, the topics are
described and thereafter, such topics are mentioned in the textbook. The division of the content into
topics and sub-topics facilitate the instruction and learning process. This division enables the teacher to
teach a topic under various headings. On the other hand, it brings about facilitation in learning of a topic
for the students.

External impression :-

The external impression of a good textbook is always impressive and absorbing. The external
impression includes printing on good quality paper, attractive title, appropriate volume, reasonable
price and easily availability in the market. The external impression of a textbook matters much for a lay
man. It is quite possible that a student begins to dislike a subject because of the unimpressive title of a
textbook. It is also possible that a student cannot get benefit of a textbook because of its high price. The
textbook should be free from all grammatical and typographical mistakes. Such mistakes may corrupt
the meaning of the content and leave negative effects on the learning process.

Objectivity :-

Objectivity refers to a tendency of viewing things on the basis of external truths and unbiased findings. It
totally denies the personal desires and wills. A good textbook is marked with the feature of objectivity.
The content of a textbook should be the spokesman of the external realities. All the content of a
textbook should be verifiable. A textbook, lacking the quality of objectivity, cannot produce the students
which the education system expects.

Explanation of the content :-

The difficult points of a textbook are explained in terms of pictures, sketches, tables, concrete examples
and diagrams. The use of these explanatory tools can bring about betterinstructional results. The
students become able to understand the immaterial concepts presented in the textbook. The writers
must be careful in the development of explanatory tools. They should keep the social values and
curricular objectives during the development of these explanatory tools.

Suggestions to Improve Quality of Textbooks

i. Introduce new topics by referencing to what the learner already knows

Many textbooks introduce new topics by making reference to learning objectives and then dive in to
whatever new topic the chapter introduces. Since research shows that better learning occurs when
students build on prior knowledge, my first suggestions would be to start chapters with activities that
require students to recall and, in a sense, to activate prior knowledge, thus strengthening the
connections between existing knowledge and the new concepts about to be learnt.

ii. Pairing graphics with text

Clearly textbooks should be aesthetically appealing. We would be wise not to ignore affective factors
that could influence negatively a learner’s disposition to learning before it has a chance to occur.
Although stereotypically we tend to determine academic rigour to be in a negative correlation with the
number of illustrations, it is possible to produce textbooks that are both appealing and supportive of
effective instruction.

iii. Interleaving different but related topics and skills

Interleaving is the practice of alternating different topics and types of content. Although intuitively we
feel that we learn better by focusing on one topic or skill at a time, research shows that better learning is
achieved when students interleave different but related topics or skills, rather than focusing on one
topic or skill, then another topic or skill, and so on.

iv. Encourage distributed practice

Closely related to the principle of interleaving of topics and skills, distributed or spaced practice is based
on the fact that learners remember information better when they are exposed to it multiple times
throughout a course. Textbooks generally adopt a modular structure: study one topic, assess it, move
on. Job done. Good luck for the exam.

Q.No.2: Discuss the comparative education and purpose of this study at the secondary level. And also
describe the importance of Tertiary Education.

Answer

Comparative Education

Comparative education is a discipline in the social sciences which entails the scrutiny and evaluation of
different educational systems, such as those in various countries. Professionals in this area of endeavor
are absorbed in advancing evocative terminologies and guidelines for education worldwide, enhancing
educational structures and producing a context to which the success and effectivity of education
programs and initiatives can be assessed.

Purpose of Comparative at Secondary Level

Comparative education will contribute to the enunciation of the generalizations or principles that
themselves will be useful in accomplishing the other purposes of the field, and in contributing to
knowledge more generally. Different comparativists express this hope rather differently and suggest
different ways of realizing it, but, as in other fields of scholarly endeavor, there is a common concern to
look beyond particular cases or phenomena to general patterns or tendencies. The major figures in
comparative education have never limited themselves to static descriptive studies, simply noting
similarities and differences between educational systems or practices, but have always moved to
explanation or interpretation, and the identification of recurring patterns or tendencies that might be
expressed as underlying principles or, as Holmes would have it, even laws. Kandel and Hans wrote of
identifying underlying principles by which educational systems could be understood and problems
analyzed. One of the purposes of comparative education to emerge through the literature involves its
contribution to international understanding and good will. Comparative education, in particular, with its
interest in international issues of relevance to education and the contact it generated between nations
and individuals was seen by many of its contributors as a growth point for international harmony.

Importance of Tertiary Education

Tertiary education and economic growth. It investigates the potential importance of tertiary education
in the growth process using the standard data in the field. Previous studies have focused largely on
primary and secondary education and have calculated growth rates using only two data points. In this
paper these potential anomalies are addressed. All available data are used in calculating growth rates
and the scope of the education process is widened to include tertiary education. The results suggest that
tertiary education may well have an important role to play in the growth process.

Role of Tertiary Education

The roles of higher education in sustainable economic and social development increase year by year,
and this will continue over the next decades. Higher education can be seen as a focal point of knowledge
and its application, an institution which makes a great contribution to the economic growth and
development through fostering innovation and increasing higher skills.

It is looked as a way to improve the quality of life and address major social and global challenges. Higher
education is broadly defined as one of key drivers of growth performance, prosperity and
competitiveness. UNESCO says its social role provides the link between the intellectual and educational
role of universities on one hand and the development of society on the other. Raising skills holds the key
to higher living standards and well-being. Investing in knowledge creation and enabling its diffusion is
the key to creating high-wage employment and enhancing productivity growth, points out OECD.

Here is an overview of the most important roles of higher education in today’s economy: Creating a
quality workforce.Higher education gives a person an opportunity to succeed in today’s global economy.
Modern universities provide their students with various programmes aimed at preparing them for
different economic sectors, helping them to stay and progress in the labour market for long,
programmes that make a difference for labour market outcomes and keep pace with changes in the
global economy and changes in the innovation process. Universities promote lifelong learning; they offer
opportunities to engage and attract professionals into training and professional development.

Supporting business and industry

Business has changed over the last decade, the dynamic processes take place in a range of contexts and
landscapes. There are a lot of jobs today that failed to exist several decades ago. Technology is changing
the nature of work. The 2017 McKinsey report estimated that 49 percent of time spent on work
activities worldwide could be automated using existingtechnologies. The requirements on employee’s
skills have also changed. Higher education institutions assure the relevance of their knowledge, identify
skills gaps, create special programmes and build the right skills that can help countries improve
economic prosperity and social cohesion, adapt workforce development to the economy and changing
demand for the new skills, develop relevant skills and activate skill supply, and thus support
improvement in productivity and growth.

Caring out research and promoting technologies

Higher education is a technology and innovation driver. One of the missions of the modern universities
is finding solutions to big challenges and conducting research within global priority areas, contributing to
social outcomes such as health and social engagement. Often it is aimed at designing technologies that
result in new products and supplying advanced technology for use.

Knowledge is the true basis of higher education: its production via research, its transmission via
teaching, its acquisition and use by students. Hence, excellence must remain the prime objective of any
institution of higher education, including universities in any country. Russia retains universities’s
tradional role as critics and servants of society and is setting its sights high. Russia’s leading universities
Project 5-100 participants guarantee excellence in the knowledge and training that they impart. These
institutions are focusing resources on quality education, encouraging students and taking account of
students’ profiles and specific needs, strengthening teacher training and exposure to best working
practices and creating incentives to attract the most experienced teachers.

Countries are putting knowledge at the service of their societies to create a better world. This can be
achieved through the training of first-class minds, through major advances in science and technology
and by encouraging an interest in learning. Now, to realize its full potential, higher education is to
maintain a pro-active stance, strengthen its position as a bedrock upon which countries are and build a
new road to growth. It cannot be passive.

Q.No.3: Explain the nature, scope, aims and realization of secondary education and national education
policy 1998-2010.

Nature of Secondary Education and National Educational Policy

Teachers’ knowledge of computer-related ergonomics in education will have an effect on the learning
process and the work practices of their students. However little is known about teacher education in this
area. The study aimed to investigate the sources and nature of secondary school teachers’ education
about computer-related ergonomics. It also investigated the use of computers by secondary school
children. The study included all secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland. The findings suggest that
computers are widely available and are used frequently by students and teachers. However, there is
evidence that teachers are not receiving information on computer-related ergonomics. Teachers were
generally dissatisfied with this and would welcome information on the subject. The study discusses the
implications of the findings and makes recommendations to meet the needs of the teachers.

Objectives
Secondary education should provide the learner with opportunities to:

1. Acquire necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for the development of the self and the nation

2. Promote love for and loyalty to the nation

3. Promoter harmonious co-existence among the peoples of Kenya

4. Develop mentally, socially, morally, physically and spiritually

5. Enhance understanding and respect for own and other people's cultures and their place in
contemporary society. Enhance understanding and appreciation of interrelationships among nations

7. Promote positive environmental and health practices

8. Build a firm foundation for further education and training

9. Develop ability for enquiry, critical thinking and rational judgment

10. Develop into a responsible and socially well adjusted person

11. promote acceptance and respect for all persons

12. enhance enjoyment in learning

13. identify individual talents and develop them

14. build a foundation for technological and industrial development

15. develop into a self-disciplined individual who appreciates work and manages time Properly

Aims of Secondary Education

1. Democratic Citizenship:

Citizenship in a democracy is required by every individual. He must develop independent judgment on

all kinds of complicated social, economic and political issues and to a large extent, decide his own course
of action. As secondary education would be the end of all formal education for the majority of students,
it must assume the responsibility of providing the necessary training for this purpose. So education
should generate in the students the sense of responsibility to tackle thecontroversial situations of the
country and foster in them the sense of belongingness.

2. Improvement of Vocational Efficiency:

 As the national situation is concerned, we must concentrate on increasing the productive, technical and
vocational efficiency of our students. Students will develop the new scientific attitude and appreciate
the dignity of labour. That is why greater emphasis should be given on crafts and productive works in all
schools, in addition to the introduction of diversified courses of studies at the secondary level.

3. Development of Personality:

One of the main functions of secondary education should be to release the sources of creative energy in
the students so that they may be able to appreciate their cultural heritage, to cultivate rich interests
which they can pursue in their leisure and so contributes, in later life, to the development of this
heritage.

Due honour should be given to the subjects like Art, Craft, Music, Dancing, and the development of
hobbies which will help in the development of total personality of the students.

4. Education for Leadership:

Successful functioning of a democracy depends upon the training in discipline as well as leadership. In
this context, the function of secondary education is to train persons who will be able to assume the
responsibility of leadership in the social, political, industrial and cultural fields, in their own small groups
of community or locality.

National Education Policy 1998-2010: Salient Features

Aims and objectives of Education and Islamic Education

Education and training should enable the citizens of Pakistan to lead their lives according to the
teachings of Islam as laid down in the Qur'an and Sunnah and to educate and train them as a true
practicing Muslim. To evolve an integrated system of national education by bringing Deeni Madaris and
modern schools closer to each stream in curriculum and the contents of education. Nazira Qur'an will be
introduced as a compulsory component from grade I-VIII while at secondary level translation of the
selected verses from the Holy Qur'an will be offered.

Literacy and Non-Formal Education

Eradication of illiteracy through formal and informal means for expansion of basic education through
involvement of community. The current literacy rate of about 39% will be raised to 55% during the first
five years of the policy and 70% by the year 2010 Functional literacy and income generation skills will be
provided to rural women of 15 to 25 age group and basic educational facilities will be provided to
working children. Functional literacy will be imparted to adolescents (10-14) who missed out the chance
of primary education. The existing disparities in basic education will be reduced to half by year 2010.

Elementary Education

About 90% of the children in the age group (5-9) will be enrolled in schools by year 2002-03. Gross
enrolment ratio at primary level will be increased to 105% by year 2010 and Compulsory Primary
Education Act will be promulgated and enforced in a phased manner. Full utilization of existing capacity
at the basic level has been ensured by providing for introduction of double shift in existing school of
basics education. Quality of primary education will be improved through revising curricula, imparting in-
service training to the teachers, raising entry qualifications for teachers from matriculation to
intermediate, revising teacher training curricula, improving management and supervision system and
reforming the existing examination and assessment system.

Secondary Education

One model secondary school will be set up at each district level. A definite vocation or a career will be
introduced at secondary level. It would be ensured that all the boys and girls, desirous of entering
secondary education, become enrolled in secondary schools. Curriculum for secondary and higher
secondary will be revised and multiple textbooks will be introduced.

The participation rate will be increased from 31% to 48% by 2002-03. The base for technical and
vocational education shall be broadened through introduction of a stream of matriculation (Technical)
on pilot basis and establishment of vocational high schools. Multiple textbooks shall be introduced at
secondary school level.

Teacher Education

To increase the effectiveness of the system by institutionalizing in-service training of teachers, teacher
trainers and educational administrators through school clustering and other techniques. To upgrade the
quality of pre-service teacher training programmes by introducing parallel programmes of longer
duration at post-secondary and post-degree levels i.e. introduction of programs of FA/FSc education and
BA/BSc education . The contents and methodology parts of teacher education curricula will be revised.
Both formal and non-formal means shall be used to provide increased opportunities of in-service
training to the working teachers, preferably at least once in five years. A special package of incentives
package shall be provided to rural females to join the teaching profession. A new cadre of teacher
educators shall be created.
Q.No.4: Explain the programs for the training of secondary school teachers through distance and formal
mode.

Teacher Training Programs of Secondary School Teachers

The professional development programs to be devised / implemented by TEDDS Learning Centre for
Teachers will be professionally sound and customized to effective teaching at elementary, Secondary
and Higher secondary level of teaching to be undertaken by highly skilled and experienced experts in
Education. Supporting National endeavor in enhancing professional skills development of teachers
through Degree Courses and certificates ineducation to meet indigenous requirement of TEDDS, Lahore,
Punjab and Pakistan.

The program objectives are:

• To enhance the professional skills of selected Teacher Educators i.e. master teacher trainers in the
teaching of Mathematics, Science, English as a Second Language & other subjects, ICT and leadership for
managing change.

• Professional development of all the teachers on the roll of ‘The Trust Schools’ as well as the future
inductees in TEDDS.

• Provisioning of affordable teacher Training Program for the serving teachers in other institutions in
and around Lahore, Punjab and Pakistan as well as the prospective teachers.

• Introduction of Master, Bachelor and Honors Degree Courses, MMOT (Montessori Method of
Teaching) and other Certificates / Diploma Courses relevant to Elementary, Secondary and Higher
Secondary School Teaching.

Typical subjects taught on a teacher training course

• Adult Education

• Aptitude Tests

• Assessing Pupils

• Attendance Patterns

• Behaviour Management.

• Classroom Discipline.
• Classroom Management

• Class Exercises

• Computer Assisted Learning

• Community Learning

• Curriculum Design

• Educational Theories

• Educational Software

• Employability Skills

• Equality and Diversity

• Just-in-time learning

• Laboratory Based Education

• Learning Environment

• Lesson Design

• Mentoring Pupils

• Primary Teaching

• Structured Learning

• Student-Centred Learning

• Teaching Methodologies

• Tutorial Support

• Vocational Courses

• Writing Handouts

• Work Based Learning

Distance Mode of Teacher Education in Increasing the Supply of Secondary School TeachersDistance
Education is a mode that has the potential to transcend barriers which are caused by distance, time as
well as age, hence facilitating lifelong learning. Through distance education, the learner enjoys a high
degree of autonomy in deciding what, when and how to learn. The flexibility inherent in distance
learning, and the fact that it can be combined with full or near fulltime job, makes it particularly
appropriate for the often widely distributed force of teachers and school managers and continuous
professional development enables teachers to extend existing knowledge and skills and develop new
ones.

In many countries, while the importance of teachers is given a lot of emphasis, including in international
reports, attention given to teacher education and the professional development of teachers often lags
behind that given to other levels of the education systems. While there is a strong recognition that
teacher education and professional development need to beintegrated in ways that operationalize
lifelong learning for teachers, the resources allocated to it are usually inadequate. Consequently, in
much of the developing world, teacher education has been in a serious crisis. Inherited systems of
teacher education have proved increasingly unable to satisfy the dual demands of higher quality training
and substantially increased output demanded by commitments to universalize primary education. Many
educationsystems still contain large proportions of untrained or under qualified teachers who teach
subjects in which they are not qualified and there are many teachers at the primary school level who
enter teacher training after completing secondary education and in some systems even primary
education. The quality of primary education is such that it lacks the capacity to provide a supportive
professional environment for trainees who are fully qualified at graduate level. Donor enthusiasm for
new pedagogy, which frequently advocates learner-centredapproaches, group work, attention to special
needs, reflective teaching and a plethora of methods of training associated with best practice in
developed countries, has at times sat uneasily with the realities of the training environment, teacher
education infrastructure and different cultural and professional expectations of the role of the teacher
in developing countries. A lot of the rhetoric about reform has been increasingly difficult to translate
into actual changes on the ground. In addition teachers increasingly face a widening range of demands
and roles. National governments, international organizations and specificcircumstances continually set
new goals and the need for critical thinking, life skills and others which seriously challenge the capacity
of teachers to cope with.

Training of Secondary School Teachers and Formal Mode

A teacher educator (also called a teacher trainer) is a person who helps in-service and preservice
teacher trainees to acquire the knowledge, competencies and attitudes they require to be effective
teachers. Several individual teacher educators are usually involved in the initial or ongoing education of
each teacher; often each specialises in teaching about a different aspect of teaching (e.g. educational
ethics, philosophy of education, sociology of education, curriculum, pedagogy, subject-specific teaching
methods etc.).

Not every culture has a concept that precisely matches the English term 'teacher educator'... Even
where the concept exists, the range of roles that is covered by the term varies significantly from country
to country. In some traditions, the term 'teacher trainer' may be used instead of 'teacher educator'.

A teacher educator may be narrowly defined as a higher education professional whose principle activity
is the preparation of beginning teachers in universities and other institutions of teacher education, such
as National Colleges of Education,Teacher Training Colleges and Teacher Centers. A broader definition
might include any professional whose work contributes in some way to the initial education or the
continuing professional development of school and other teachers.

Even within a single educational system, teacher educators may be employed in different roles by
different kinds of organisation. In the European context, for example, people who could be considered
to be teacher educators include:

 Higher Education academics with a responsibility for Teacher Education as such,

 for teaching a subject (such as chemistry or mathematics) to students who will later become
teachers;
 for research into teaching,
 for subject studies or
 for didactics;
 teachers in schools who supervise student teachers during periods of teaching practice;
 school teachers or school managers responsible for inducting new teachers during their first
year of teaching; or
 those in charge of school teaching staff’s continuous professional development.

Teacher educators may therefore work in many different contexts including National Colleges of
Education, teacher training colleges, teacher centers,(universities, schools, private sector training
organisations or trade unions) and their working time may be fully, or only partly, dedicated to the
preparation of teachers.

Q.No.5: Explain the scope, nature and importance of education in Pakistan. Also highlight the short
comings of our education system.

State of education in Pakistan

The soul reason of backwardness of developing countries including Pakistan lies in the negligence of
educational sector. Despite being a harbinger of change, education in Pakistan is not receiving enough
attention on government side. That is why educational system is largely unsatisfactory in our country. In
fact, low Literacy rate coupled with dropouts, ghost teachers and dearth of basic amenities portray
bleak picture of educational system.

Nature of Education in Pakistan

The education system in Pakistan is generally divided into six levels: preschool (for the age from 3 to 5
years), primary (grades one through five), middle (grades six througheight), high (grades nine and ten,
leading to the Secondary School Certificate or SSC), intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a
Higher Secondary School Certificate or HSSC), and university programs leading to undergraduate and
graduate degrees.

The literacy rate ranges from 85% in Islamabad to 23% in the Torghar District. Literacy rates vary
regionally, particularly by sex. In tribal areas female literacy is 9.5%., while Azad Jammu & Kashmir has a
literacy rate of 74%. Moreover, English is fast spreading in Pakistan, with more than 92 million Pakistanis
(49% of the population) having a command over theEnglish language. On top of that, Pakistan produces
about 445,000 university graduates and 80,000 computer science graduates per year. Despite these
statistics, Pakistan still has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and the second largest out of
school population (22.8 million children) after Nigeria.

Importance of Education in Pakistan

Education is the most important criteria for individual as well as collective development of a society and
a state. And Primary education is the basic bedrock upon which whole building of education and human
development stands. It provides the child with basic insight to a new world and provides him with the
necessary tools to proceed through various fields of life.

Unfortunately, the state of primary education system in Pakistan is very bleak. Leaving the business
corporations of private education system and-how they excessively exploit naive parents—out of
discussion, the situation of public education system is not any better.

Millions of children are out of school and victims of child labor and the remaining who are going to any
school are not getting any quality education either. Various factors are responsible for poor situation of
primary education system which includes lack of infrastructure, dearth of qualified teachers, uneven
student-teacher ratio, absence of laboratories, teacher absenteeism, non-use of modern techniques of
teaching and poor teacher parents’ interaction.

Shortcomings of our Education System

• Pakistan is facing number of drawbacks in its education system. Today our education system does not
offer the environment and opportunity of one and equal system of education. The main problem is the
inequality in public and private education sector of Pakistan. There are many systems working in the
country which result in conflict and social division. Pakistan is an ideological state based on Islamic
ideology but our system of education is not able to protect our religious norms and guide our new
generation according to Islam.

• Another important reason of the failure of our educational system is less trained faculty. New
techniques of teaching and materials to make lessons more interesting to the students have not been
adopted. One of the chronic problem of our education system is the shortage of teachers. The number
of teachers has been gradually increasing but it does not match favourably with the number of students
and there is a gap between the students and teachers ratio. Our poor examination system encourages
rote learning. The students look upon a degree as a passport to employment in a commercial
commodity which can be purchased if you pay the price.

• Our curriculum is not updated to compete with the rest of the world. It has no direct connection with
the practical life which the students will have to face after the completion of his studies. Lack of
technical education is one of the major problem of our country. A number of educational policies were
introduced from time to time by various regimes in the history of Pakistan for reforms but due to lack of
implementation and inconsistency, it showed no result.

• Allocation of budget for the education sector is not enough. Pakistan is one of only 12 countries in the
world that spend less than two per cent of its GDP on education.

Corruption is one of the major contributing factors for failure of educational policy. It is due to lack of
accountability and transparency along with low salaries of the staff. It is believed that Pakistan is among
the most prominent states affected by genderdiscrimination. That not only harms the quality of
education in Pakistan but creates a gap among haves and have-nots. The adult female illiteracy rate in
the country wastwice as high as for males. The illiteracy rate was 23.3 per cent for males and 46.9 per
cent for females.

Solution

To overcome this alarming situation the first and foremost step should be the better implementation of
the existing policies. We do not need new policies while our previous policies are pending. Our
curriculum should be appropriate according to the needs of today’s world. Interactive teaching method
should introduce so that students feel free to ask about ambiguities. Capable and outstanding
professionals prefer foreign jobs instead of serving in their own country. By facilitating them we can
restore our outstanding professionals. In developed countries besides teacher’s training there is strong
concentration on parents training. Parents should be trained as to how they should behave with their
children in different matters. If we prepare our generation according to the needs of today’s world, they
can play an important role in the country’s progress. In short it is education that can turn the population
of any country from a burden to useful human resource.