(Prof. Karamat Rajput) Having acquired my Master’s Degree in Pol. Sc. from the Punjab University in 1968, I started looking for some respectable job. I had never wanted to be a teacher at school, instead, I was agog to find a teaching job for me in a college. I had many good reasons to be a teacher. For instance, doing so, I wanted to pay regards to my teachers who really had edified me. Another reason was that I used to give tuition to students at their homes to earn money for my higher education. So, I had a bit of experience in this trade.

Although I did get opportunities to join the Army, banks, or in such high-profile institutions my inner aptitude convinced me to serve the cause of Education. It was my good luck to be inducted in Islamia College, M.A Jinnah Road, Karachi as a lecturer in 1969.

I have a sharp memory & as such, I can recall my school days since I was a student of class IV. I had always been among the top students. I always chose for me such subjects that interested me only for the reason that I had to put in very little effort to get better results. I knew the art of convincing my theory examiners.

I started learning English as usual in class VI. I remember, I always preferred to write my own translations rather than learning by heart.

Keeping aside my early five years, l can say that I have been in educational activities for seventy years. I’ve my own assessment of our education system to which you may not agree. Briefly, I rank this system a wastage or rather complete wreckage.

We, unfortunately, have a manifold system of education in Pakistan which is based on the economic-class-system. There are strong reasons for this classified system of education. The topmost among the reasons is the insincerity of the ruling class. Initially, this insincerity was not intentional as it is now. It is really sad that this corrupt system is based on the theory of Elite & Subject Class.

There are three beneficiaries of the Ruling class in Pakistan. They are Bureaucrats; Politicians & Armed Forces. They are righteously called the Elite Class who are roughly 2% of the total population. The rest of the citizens who are 98% are their subjects

As such, there are four slots of job. The first three slots belong to the elite class. The present & the future aspirants from the elite class get their education either abroad or in their affiliated campuses in Pakistan. They differ in habits, etiquette & personality from their subjects as much as the Brahmans differ from the Shooters in Hinduism. The families of the subject class have been pushed into civil & social worries by the above said elite class deliberately to keep them away from ruling circles.

All this fuss is based on the outcome of a multi-standard system of education. Time has elapsed when a son of a poor man reached the Civil Services of Pakistan.

Doubts are often closest to realities. I reckon that the selection boards to pick a candidate to fill vacancies in the top slots are not more than puppets whose strings are systematically controlled by the ruling class. Time would perhaps never come when there would be one education system for all classes.

All members of the ruling class, without exception, plunder money assuming that doing so, is their right. Nation, on the other hand, is plunging nose down into debt.

Our fault education system is a strong source of this classified society. The only way to undo the money-oriented society thus, lies in implementing one system of education, with one syllabus

for all with sincerity & commitment.

IMPACTS OF NATIONALIZATION

Another source that brought disaster to education is the Nationalization of private institutions. This policy made the teachers & the parents feel financially comfortable. The Govt charged Rs 20/= per month as tuition fee. Almost every

student turned to the coaching centers. Beside providing skillful teachers, they also offered a co-education system.

The students could afford the tuition fees of the coaching centers as they paid a meager amount of Rs 20.00 per month to the regular nationalized & Govt colleges. Besides teaching in Govt/ nationalized institutions, some teachers worked either in coaching centers or in Private colleges too. This caused a mass exodus of students to coaching centers from Govt & Nationalized colleges.

Another factor that made students stay away from colleges was an act of terrorism by various groups of students in the colleges. Leaving the talent aside, the teachers were appointed on political grounds

On the other hand, several ghost teachers were inducted in the fold which became a source of earning black money for the high ups of education officers. So the deterioration of education at Govt & Nationalized colleges spread by leaps & bounds.