The Socio-cultural & Political Hinderances Influencing Public Sector Female Primary Education.

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About the Author(s)

The Socio-cultural & Political Hinderances Influencing Public Sector Female Primary Education (Investigating Teaching And Learning) In Remote Areas Of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).

1. Introduction:

Cultural and political dynamics have a profound effect on the quality of a society’s education. Culture, broadly defined as a set of unquestionable behaviors that are bequeathed to successive generations of people living in society over such a considerable time period has an effect on their normal activities.

At the foundation of the education system, there exists Primary Education as it is the first step of the educational ladder and the fundamental right of every child. In hinterlands and remote areas public sector education is the major medium of education as people are mostly poverty-stricken to afford private education and there are accessibility issues. A society with a culture that promotes education produces more learned and socially responsible students as compared to a society that lacks such an environment. However one must be mindful of the duality of culture, just as flip sides of a coin there are some culture-associated hindrances that impact the overall standard of education, especially in remote areas where the provision of education is an ordeal in itself as compared to better developed urban areas.

2. Statistical Analysis:

The valley of Kashmir, along with its scenic splendor is known for its high literacy rate. The Pakistan-administered territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (geographically 30% of the total area of Kashmir) abbreviated as AJK holds the highest literacy rate in Pakistan as per the official records released by the AJK government. AJK stands tall with a literacy rate of 76% and boasts the highest school enrollment ratio and the lowest number of out-of-school children(9%).

Though these statistics are pleasing on a superficial level, the reality of the education system especially in remote areas is somewhat different and deeply unsettling. As compared to remote provinces of Pakistan like Baluchistan and areas of interior Sindh (still dominated by feudalism), the education system of AJK is not fraught with gender-based discrimination as female education is highly stressed and fathers can be seen leaving their work behind and escorting their daughters to schools no matter how far they are located from their homes. Practically these high enrollment rates are futile, and the education system faces a myriad of issues overwhelmed by socio-cultural factors.

3. Issues Faced by Public Sector Education:

Among a multitude of other reasons, these are some of the most dominant socio-cultural issues that affect access to education in the female public sector in AJK;

a)   Minimum qualification of teachers:

The competence of teachers is very crucial to the quality of education served. Unfortunately, the qualifications required to become a public-sector primary teacher in AJK are very minimal(a mere matriculation degree in most cases) as compared to other countries with successful educational systems. These bare minimum qualified teachers impart bare minimum knowledge and the overall standard of learning drops. Since 2017 education policy regarding primary teachers’ qualifications was revised but only for new recruitments so still students have to bear with old unqualified teachers (who are estimated to not retire till 2030).

b) Lack of training of teachers:

Along with the provision of ineligible teachers, the plight of students is furthered by lack of proper training of teachers. Education as a medium is evolutionary and its nature is constantly elusive. Result teachers as providers of education are required to update their knowledge with the constant flux and flow of times. Apart from the teacher’s side, this is a systematic and governmental issue as well and there is a dearth of professional teaching workshops and learning opportunities for teachers. Those few and far-between chances that are available are either not availed because of societal constraints for female teachers or are constantly snatched away by teachers having strong political connections.

c) Climate hazards:

Geographically the area of AJK harbors a mountainous topography, full of glaciers and running water bodies. The valley of Neelum, specifically is very susceptible to climate change and the resultant environmental hazards. Climatic Catastrophes like cloud-bursts, avalanches, deathly landslides, roadblocks and infrastructure damages normally happen especially during the notorious winters. This deeply affects access to schools as there is no virtual means to get to school. Generally a three-month-long winter vacation for this time period but it is often followed by unforeseen respites as weather patterns are unpredictable.

Landslide hazards in AJK(source:MPDI)

d) Poor infrastructure of schools:

The state of AJK is an underdeveloped one and its economic conditions are very frail. One of the most unprecedented blows faced by the economy of AJK was the destructive 2005 earthquake, which along with unthinkable human loss caused an immense loss of infrastructure with roughly more than 7000 schools damaged, especially primary schools, entirely or partially. The dilemma is that almost two entire decades are approaching since that tragedy but the state is not done with the repair and reconstruction process. The budgets allocated by the federal government and international aid are not ample to rebuild the schools let alone restore the educational system. The result is the current state of primary schools, operating in the most heart-rending and pitysome condition, with students sitting without a roof and proper boundary walls directly exposed to the scorching sun’s heat during summers and merciless snowfalls during winter mornings. A proper classroom and a productive learning environment are necessary for proper learning and the lack of these basic facilities renders that classroom practically useless.

Open air schools in AJK(source; the express tribune)

e) Below Average health facilities:

The health sector in AJK is crippling, especially in remote areas basic health facilities are scarce.in areas near the defacto line of control primary vaccination is still considered a taboo and older people abhor it. So children have weak immunity and constantly fall ill. Hospitals are also not easily accessible and due to this lack of basic healthcare, recovery is slow. Resultantly both students and teacher  have to skip school whenever they contact any ailment.

f) Difficulty in adopting English:

The region of AJK is blessed with cultural and lingual diversities but when it comes to teaching and learning this very blessing seems to be a curse. Language barriers are the leading cause of educational difficulties in the public sector in remote areas of Kashmir. People mostly speak their regional languages like Pahari/Pothwari, Hindko or Kashmiri, while Urdu bearing the privilege of national language is understood by all. Proficiency in English is rare happening and English as a medium of communication is still frowned upon. Students face a huge challenge in learning and adopting English to an extent that despite being at primary level they are unable to write and pronounce the 27 alphabets of English. Teachers here being the imparters of knowledge themselves lack a basic understanding of knowledge, possess poor pronunciation skills and naturally bestow their students with the same below-average skills.

g) Financial constraints:

Although a major chunk of the annual budget (27%) goes to education sector in AJK, but still this doesn’t meet the financial resources that are required to regulate the primary level education fundamentally in remote areas. Public sector schools always face financial constrains like lack of funds and teachers in Neelum Valley are often seen protesting for their minimum wages that too sometimes are not released by the government for several months.

h) Politicization of teacher appointments:

It is a universally acknowledged fact that the appointment of teachers should be purely on a merit basis. This principle is religiously followed in all leading countries of the world. But Alas, appointments of teachers are hindered by political interferences in AJK. This is more common in rural areas because people are not cognizant of their rights and possess a political personality worshipping mindset. Candidates having political backgrounds climb the social hierarchies more easily and are appointed by unfair means in their desired schools. Candidates on merit either never get appointed or are thrown away to very remote areas where daily commune with them becomes difficult.

i) Proxy teachers:

Apart from political influences in appointments, a pivotal issue faced by primary schools in AJK is the low attendance of teachers and the illegal employment of proxy teachers as substitutes. Teachers who do not bother to regularly attend and perform their job in schools use local men and women in their place to teach by giving them a very small proportion of their pay monthly. The standard of education by this proxy process drops drastically and ultimately the students suffer.

j) Lack of policy-making and implementation:

The lack of stringent policy-making is yet another issue faced by public sector education in remote areas. If by heaven’s grace policies are made they are never implemented so there is a huge gap between theory and practice. Policy makers mindlessly etch out new policies without considering let alone implementing older ones. Another reason causing failure in the practical implementation of policies is the political instability and abrupt change in governments. New formed governments out of spite do not implement previous governments’ educational policies no matter how good they are succinctly education suffers.

k) Corruption:

It is an unfortunate yet stark reality that corruption has become deeply ingrained in the milieu of Kashmir and has penetrated every department. The same is the case with education. The whole system is corrupt from higher bureaucracy down to the level of a junior clerk. The allocated funds are reduced manifold before reach their deserving audience. Teachers do not fulfil their responsibilities wholeheartedly and use proxy teachers instead. Even in some cases students also exhibit a form of corruption by sacrificing their academic integrity and cheating and using unfair means during exams. The whole department of education as a functioning unit is corrupt.

l) Inclination towards private schools:

Another obstacle faced by public sector schools in remote areas of Kashmir is the general inclination towards private schools and biases against public schools. Especially among the rich demographic, there exists a (essentially wrong) perception that public schools are only for down-trodden kids and enrolling their children in private schools costing absurdly hefty charges means securing a future for them. While public sector education has its issues, this does not necessitate that private schools are perfect havens of learning for children. Most of them just utilize innocent children as commodities and are vociferously trapped in a madman’s race running after money. Since rural elites opt for private schools, they set a standard for other social classes to follow, and other people go above and beyond their capacities to get their children admission to private schools even if that means selling their own land(almost all families in AJK own some form of cultivable land). Hence private schools take away a large chunk of potential students from public sector schools just because they have a better image in the minds of people.

4. Way Forward and Conclusion:

The public sector education in remote areas of Kashmir needs a holistic set of changes that need immediate action and implementation. Policy implementation and de-politicization of the education department could be the harbingers of a good change. Drastic steps need to be taken in terms of corruption and accountability. Those found guilty of corruption need to be made an example for others. Students should be provided with proper classrooms for productive learning. At the same time, teachers should be given their paychecks on time and their rights should be fulfilled. All in all, undoubtedly public sector education in remote areas of Kashmir is suffering but it is by the dint of these small and steady steps that it can move towards the process of recovery.