Education in Pakistan: All Demand and Little Supply

The is the text of Ms. Habib’s presentation at the Pakistan Economic Development Conference held on March 07 1998 at MIT.
I would like to speak about education in Pakistan at two ends of thespectrum-- at one end higher education in the private sector, and at theother end NGO schooling for the
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very poor. In each case, I will try toidentify criteria that successfully meet parents' demand for education,and then address the question of how successful initiatives can besustained. Providing education to its citizens is clearly not a priority for theGovernment of Pakistan. Policy makers do not seem to realize the immenseimportance of investing in the people of the country, and not only in roadsand airports. Lack of skills and high illiteracy levels are as great abarrier to economic development as inadequate infrastructure. This willbecome increasingly evident as Pakistan is forced to compete in worldmarkets where most developing countries already have more skilled workers. Low investment in girls education also imposes a high cost on society. Whenwomen are more educated, labor force participation rates increase, theirchildren are better nourished and educated, and of utmost importance toPakistan, fertility rates are lowered. The population of Pakistan isestimated to grow to 250 million in twenty years and the country does nothave the resources to sustain this increase. Female illiteracy will be animportant contributor to this population increase. DEMAND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE PRIVATE SECTORThe need for colleges and universities to provide quality education cannotbe emphasized enough. Good institutions of higher learning are essentialfor building leadership and professionalism in our country. Unfortunately government institutions no longer enjoy the reputation theyused to 20 years ago. The spacious campuses of Punjab University,Government college Lahore and Karachi University, are not perceived asinstitutions of high academic standards anymore. At the core of thisdeterioration is the public examination system. Malpractice in the systemhave made the Intermediate, Bachelors and Masters degrees unreliablemeasures of student competence. Public institutions of higher learninghave also become a hotbed of student politics, and student and teacherabsenteeism is high.The inability of degrees from government universities and colleges toserve as screening devices for selecting graduates in the job market hasled to a substantial demand by parents and employers for private highereducation, where students are willing to pay high fees. We are all familiarwith the traffic jams caused by private colleges and institutions that havemushroomed in rented houses in cities all over Pakistan. However theseinstitutions are mostly commercial ventures, some of them playing a role inproviding marketable skills. Most serve as tuition centers to preparestudents for board exams, rarely providing quality education andopportunities for intellectual growth.A few universities in the private sector have attempted to fill thisvacuum for quality higher education, of which the best known two are theLahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Aga Khan MedicalUniversity in Karachi. These universities provide successful alternativesto poor quality education in the public sector. In the case of the LahoreUniversity of Management Sciences, the initiative came from businessmen,who supported and funded the setting up of a private school that theyperceived would meet the demand of Pakistani industrialists and bankersfor well qualified local MBAs.I will highlight the experience of a relatively recent establishment in theprivate sector, the Lahore School of Economics. The Lahore Schooloriginally aimed to provide a graduate degree in Economics and Managementand eventually expand to an undergraduate program. The Lahore School wasestablished in 1993 and received a charter from the provincial governmentat the beginning of 1997. I was teaching at the School during thisformative stage, and it gave me an opportunity to gain some insights intothe mechanics of the birth of an institution. It was clear that there issubstantial demand for quality higher education in the private sector.Parents are willing to pay over Rs. 100,000 a year for educating sons aswell as daughters which is several times higher than the cost of anequivalent degree from a public university, but at the same time lower thanthe cost of sending students to foreign universities. Parents' demand alsoreflects the job market demand for education. For instance, bankers andindustrialists often commented on the preference for well trained localMBAs over those with foreign qualifications as the local graduate adjustedbetter to the Pakistani business environment. For this reason, banks andbusinesses are also willing to support private institutions because theyneed well trained graduates to work in their organizations. There are many interesting features and stages in the setting up of aninstitution. My focus here is to identify three features that served asimportant criteria for meeting the demand for higher education. 1) obtaining a charter by the government to award the institution's owndegrees2) ensuring well qualified faculty willing to work intensively with students3) creating an atmosphere of learning through regular assignments oncurrent topics, regularly inviting speakers on a variety of topics andsupplementing lectures with tutorial sessions.1) Obtaining the Charter. The process of obtaining a federal or provincialcharter that allows a private university to award its own degrees is afairly rigorous one, and although the government has allowed manyeducational institutions to flourish, there is a long review processbefore official sanction is given. Therefore a private institution'swillingness to go through this process and open itself up for review isimportant for establishing credibility. One of the primary objectives ofthe Lahore School was to obtain a charter from the government to enable itto award its own "recognized" degrees. The process of obtaining thegovernment of Punjab charter took three years of active pursuit. This was afrustrating experience, requiring a high level of persistence. Since theSchool had announced its intention of pursuing the charter from the outset,students and faculty participated enthusiastically in the process.Obtaining a charter is therefore an important milestone in meeting qualitystandards expected by parents and employers and setting an institutionapart from other commercial ventures. 2) Qualifications and dedication of Faculty. Even before the charter wasobtained, enrollments were rising. The school started with a first batchof about 20 students. Just before the charter was obtained there wereabout 100 students enrolled in the program and now there are over 200students. This was partly in anticipation of the charter, but also becausewell qualified teachers were recruited and were expected to workintensively with the students. Teachers were also given independence todesign their own courses. Recruitment of well qualified staff is one of thebiggest challenges in maintaining high standards. 3) Creating an Atmosphere of Learning. Another criteria for success isenabling the student to analyze the material being taught. When studentsentered the Master's program, although they were bright, eager andconfident, their creative and analytical abilities had not been given anopportunity to develop in college years where the emphasis was onreproducing materials from textbooks for end-year examinations. Tutorials were an important feature of each teaching session wherematerial covered in lectures was reinforced through assignments based onthe lecture and discussions among students divided into smaller groups. Inviting outside speakers regularly to discuss real world situationsrelevant to the class material kept students abreast of current events andgave them an opportunity to exchange views with professionals and policymakers. Another important feature of many courses was assignments in whichstudents were required do independent research. Although students were notused to independent work, or even using libraries, with faculty guidanceand persistence, students overcame their initial reluctance and handicapsand often came up with creative projects.Sustaining Standards in Private Higher EducationBehind successful ventures there are always individuals or a group ofpeople who are committed and persistent in achieving goals for theirinstitutions. However when the institution expands, individuals may losethe momentum to maintain high standards. It may also not be possible forone person or a small group of persons to effectively continue maintainingthe same level of interest and high standards. Once an institution issuccessfully established it is important to also establish a clearorganization structure for sustaining quality to guide those who work in it. To remain financially viable, it is important to be able to cover runningcosts through fees, and avoid unnecessary costly investments in facilitiessince parents and students attach a lot of value to the substance of thematerial taught, the competence of the instructors, and the ability of thefaculty to work intensively with students. And investment in these inputsis in fact essential to meeting the demand for quality education.In conclusion, how does one example aid us in thinking about the future ofhigher education? Does the solution lie in handing over higher education tothe private sector? s to What about the public resources tied up in theinfrastructure and staffing of the many government universities? Can thesebe salvaged? Although the majority of Pakistanis have access only to thecheaper state provided education, there is scarce evidence of reform instate universities. In one case, in an effort to reclaim its formerreputation, Government College Lahore pursued autonomous status to giveits own examinations and award its own degrees, independent from thePunjab examination board. This will be a challenging undertaking, sincedrastic reform of existing teaching methods, curriculum and funding will berequired. The results of any committed efforts in this direction will bevery instructive for similar experiments in other government colleges anduniversities.Let me now turn to another vital area of schooling for children from lowincome families. B: SCHOOLING FOR POOR CHILDREN IN THE NGO SECTOROnly 60% primary age children in Pakistan attend school, a much lower ratecompared to neighboring countries. Moreover, the gender gap is large.There are only 56 girls to every 100 boys enrolled in primary education.Although the government has doubled expenditure on education in the lastten years the emphasis is still on construction of facilities andrecruitment of teachers without an effort to improve quality of education.The vast majority of children who do attend school are not able to readand comprehend material other than what they memorize from textbooks. Norare they able to perform simple computational skills in mathematics. So fora lot of children who do make it to school, the education they receive isextremely inadequate and an inefficient use of public resources.Dissatisfaction with government schools is reflected by the low attendancerate --20 to 30 percent of schools are either empty or have very fewstudents. The consensus of a number of studies on schooling in Pakistan is that lowenrollment and low retention rates are a reflection of poor supply in termsof low quality of education offered. Parents do not consider it worthwhileto send their children to school if they are not learning anything.Children's time is considered better used in chores at home or assistingparents in income earning activities. Since the opportunity cost ofeducating poor children is high, the quality of education also has to behigh, in order to convince parents of the value of sending children toschool.Millions of poor families in Pakistan want good schools for their children.They demonstrate this demand enthusiastically when they are assured thatthe education received is worthwhile. Participation rates are high insuccessful projects. In the government assisted Balochistan communityschools project, there is 87% female enrollment compared to the provinceaverage of 18% . Successful schools established under the Baldia HomeSchools project, the Orangi Pilot project and the Aga Khan Rural SupportProgram have also been in operation since the eighties. All these schoolsoperate with community support and involvement. The inadequate supply of public schools has also encouraged the growth ofprivate schools in the last ten to fifteen years. Two types of privateschools exist in urban areas, those catering to the elite, or educatedmiddle and upper classes, and schools of a much lower quality, charging lowfees, catering to the poor. Low-income families in urban areas spend asubstantial part of their budget towards educating children in privateschools because they perceive these schools to be of higher qualitycompared to government schools. However, only 10% of all school goingchildren in Pakistan attend private schools, and the responsibility foreducating the poor still lies heavily with the government. The challenge istwo-fold--improving the quality of existing schools, and to increase thenumber of schools.Let me now narrate the experience of one NGO school to illustrate how acommunity can be transformed if a committed effort is made to provide goodeducation. About a year ago, I had the opportunity to work with an NGOschool in Sheikhupura, about 40 miles out of Lahore. This school startedfunctioning in 1991 and evolved as part of a rehabilitation program forflood devastated settlements along the Lahore/Sheikhupra road. Thiscommunity did not have access to any government school. A new schoolbuilding was constructed, and over a 100 children registered on the firstday the school opened. By 1996, enrollment had reached 1500, and F.A. andFSc. classes had also started since there was no college in the area. Nowefforts are underway to start a computer center for the senior classes. Thedemand for schooling in the area led to the opening of another schoolfurther along the Sheikhupura highway in 1995, where enrollments havereached 500. Land for both schools was donated by factory owners of thearea. Some performance criteria of the school are indicated as follows:1) Cost-effectiveness: The annual cost of schooling is about Rs. 2000 perchild, which is half the cost per student in a governmentParents are charged a voluntary tuition fee of Rs. 10 per month and Rs. 20for those who can afford it. Despite their poverty, 70% of parents areable to pay at least Rs.10 per month. In fact they pride their ability topay for the education of their children. Since drop-out rates are alsomuch lower and achievement levels higher compared to government schools,society gains much more for the limited resources spent in an effectiveNGO school compared to a typical government school. 2) Learning abilities: Children from very poor families are assumed to comefrom so-called disadvantaged backgrounds where there is lack ofintellectual stimulation due to parents illiteracy. In fact, childrenentering school in the kindergarten, class 1, and class 2 levels, fromages five to seven, were observed to be capable of learning and absorbingmaterial very quickly. They had well developed motor skills, and goodcommunication and social skills. These skills are learnt at home. Forinstance, small motor skills are developed because children are expected toengage in household chores from an early age and also learn to performtasks for themselves such as buttoning and unbuttoning, pouring water andso on. When asked to draw birds, vegetables or flowers, they tended to drawexamples from real life-- making very detailed drawings of crows orcarrots or roses. As a result, in the initial years of school, childrenfrom poor backgrounds were seen to be very ready for learning, probably ascapable as the average kindergartner from a typical middle to upper classschool.3) High returns to early education: It is also in the first two or threeyears of school that children lose the opportunity for learning ifmemorization is stressed and children are intimidated by teachers.Therefore the returns to the first two or three years of schooling can bevery high and crucial in building a strong educational foundation thatwould give high dividends in terms of academic achievement in higher gradesand lower drop-out rates. Extra effort at the "kachi" or pre-school level, and up to the first threeclasses is also important from another perspective. Poor parents facepressure to pull children out of school to help with domestic or marketrelated activities. If the high standard of education is established at anearly stage, parents will be willing to make greater sacrifices to keepchildren in school. Even in case the child is forced to drop out, the firstthree or four classes may be the only education he or she will obtain.Therefore, the more intensive education is at this stage, the more usefulit will be to the child. 4) Introducing English at an early stage: The school's policy ofintroducing English from the very beginning is a feature speciallyattractive to parents. "English medium" schooling is sought after byparents of all income groups, because even illiterate parents can perceivethe opportunities the knowledge of English can open up for their children.Given that curriculum in Urdu is poorly developed, and most children speakPunjabi at home, there is no natural advantage in teaching only Urdu inthe earlier classes. The challenge lies in training teachers to instructthe children properly. 5) Co-education works well. Classes are co-educational up to theintermediate level. Parents do not object to co-education, due to theirtrust in the school administrators and the principal. Girls make up 50% ofmost classes. 6) Competence and training of teaching staff. The success of the schoolhinges on the dedication, competence and constant supervision of theprincipal, or the headmistress, who in turn is motivated by NGO workers.Some of the teachers were trained at considerable cost from private teachertraining centers in Lahore. These teachers then trained the other schoolteachers. Recruiting, training and retaining teachers (especially afterthey had received training) is a difficult challenge. The school has alsostarted recruiting some of its own matriculate students after they havegraduated to teach in the primary classes. In conclusion, the success of NGO schools depends on the commitment andmotivation of a few individuals and their ability to raise funds. Andsociety cannot depend on this commitment alone. What this example doesreveal is the strong demand for high quality education by poor parents andtheir willingness to pay for this education. Therefore it is important forthe government to focus on the type of education it provides and onimproving the substance of education.The main lesson to be learned from the diverse examples of education givenhere is that there is a positive and high response to good qualityeducation, at the higher and primary level, and that a high priorityshould be attached to providing education of substantial quality. Althoughthe current education situation is dismal, the high demand for educationindicates that intensive investment in the right type of education couldyield high returns in terms of enrollment and achievement rates within fiveto ten years. The initiative for this would have to come from thegovernment, and enhanced with the help of NGOs, and the community.