Deteriorating quality of education in Gilgit-Baltistan

Saleem Abbas

There has always been a question mark on the quality of education being offered in Gilgit-Baltistan. From day one we have been listening that the system of education needs reformation and after long debates and discussion about the necessities the response is zero.

For primary education, despite of having a huge number of schools, the output is not upto the expectations. We can observe at every street corner, the ringing of school bells.  The presence of hundreds of such private institutions may have galvanized the masses about the importance of education, but the quality still remains paralyzed due to lack of interest in that sector.

We the people of GB bear a strange nature. We are always fascinated by new and exposed things. In the field of education, we prefers the most popular institution for our personal satisfaction, and after that the responsibility seems to be off our shoulders.

The mismanagement of educational budget is also a  major reason  in degrading the quality of education. Due to lack of resources, various prestigious institutions are deteriorating rapidly. Population explosion is also an obstacle in recovering the shortfalls.

Here the government schools and colleges needs special importance.  These institutions don’t have any proper working timeframe. There is also news about the absentees of teachers. The government institutions of GB are in much more pathetic condition than other regions of country.

The most important point here which needs special importance is that the well educated and competent teachers prefers government jobs, but parents prefers private institutions for their wards, where teachers are not that much competent as in government sector.  In our society, the same trend is followed, the child who seems less competent will be sent to government school. Consequently, both the private and government sector are now somehow same.  The student in government institutions fall prey of inferiority complex, where he thinks that those who goes to well reputed private institutions will only be successful in future.  So, they stops dreaming and goes for another options other than their desired fields rather quits it completely.

Our society must play a key role in encouraging such talented individuals without making their education system, a reason. They must encourage them and remove that sense and induce the sense of parity believing that “Success only bows hard worker”.

The new fashion of coaching centers can also be observed in huge number, where 100 percent of the student community is inhabited. These coaching centers remain open throughout the year. Students in addition with their regular classes at enrolled institution, attend coaching classes too. What is the need of such hectic routine for these little champs, if their school/colleges are able to deliver the required input to them?? It’s actually the system which forced them to decide such alternate options desperately.

The need of the hour is to review the system and make changes according to the forthcoming modern era of education. Education is our only believe and its deteriorating condition is indeed a dilemma which is putting the hopeful nation in dismay. However, these issues can be resolved if the government takes solid steps in its war against illiteracy. Education should be declared a s the highest priority of state and a uniform system of education should be introduced gradually to eradicate the problems multiplicity of systems. Effective management and administration is mandatory for improving the quality of education. Unless the impediments of illiteracy and lack of education are removed, the road to democracy will remain fraught with the danger of exploitation of the masses by the select few. There is no factor more important to the well-being of a nation than human resource and no negligence worse than ignoring its development.