As many as 660 primary schools can be upgraded to middle level schools if the money being spent on Danish Schools is diverted to mainstream education sector. The government has not spent even a single rupee on the flood-affected schools, ignoring them completely.
Speakers expressed these views at a post-budget policy dialogue held here on Tuesday. The dialogue titled “Effectiveness of Education Financing for FY 2011-12 in Punjab” was organised by Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) in collaboration with Campaign for Quality Education (CQE) and Department for International Development (DFID). I-SAPS Executive Director Dr Salman Humayun in his analysis said that the government was spending Rs 152 billion annually on the education sector but it could not get desired results as the learning of students was very low.
He said the Punjab government was spending Rs 3 billion only on Danish Schools. “If the amount spend on Danish Schools were saved then at least 660 schools can be upgraded from primary to middle; 500 schools from middle to matriculation level,” he said adding that the government was spending around Rs 16,000 per month on each child in Danish School, whereas, in government-run school less than Rs 1,600 was spent on one child.
He said the children were not given even basic facilities in schools and currently 21 percent of children in schools do not have the facility of toilets. He said that the government emphasised on the training of new teachers while the in-service teachers were being ignored altogether. He said that it was astonishing that the Punjab government had not spent even a single rupee for the development or rehabilitation of flood-affected schools. He said at least 2,000 schools had been destroyed in floods and only Rs 2 billion was needed for their repairs but the government left them at the mercy of foreign organisations.
Abbas Rashid in his presentation titled “Disconnect between Research and Policy: Implications for Quality Education” said that policymakers were least bothered for the research and the consultants were taken as researchers. He said that in large urban centres private schools constituted at least half if not more than total number of schools. “The policymakers appear to have very little need for the context-based research. Consultation often takes place of research,” Abbas Rashid said adding government’s research apparatus is under-funded, particularly in context of research.
He said there was no consistency in the government’s policies, as in 1973 there was nationalisation; in 1978 there was decentralisation and in 1990s there was privatisation. He said teachers are most important for the quality education and they should be given special attention. He said that there was less focus on improving the quality of colleges. I-SAPS Research Fellow Ahmed Ali said that article 25 (A) of the constitution says that the state would be bound to give free and compulsory education to children between 5 to 16 years of age.
He said that the government would have take steps on war-footing if it wanted to provide education to every child in Pakistan. Standing Committee on Education Punjab Chairperson Chaudhry Javed Ahmed said it was a dilemma that every one would criticise the government schools but no one would prefer them for one’s own children. “I have studied at a government school but now we are sending our children to private schools. Society does own government schools. We all should to do away with this thinking and should send our children to government schools so that our schools may prosper”, he added. He said he would not comment on the Danish Schools since the project was the brainchild of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
all schools and colleges can be upgraded if v divert just 10 percent funds from defense to education sector.v as a natuion just know to criticize.
Daanish School system according to PML (N) and stooges of Two Sharifs is a School system that envisages free education of A Class standard to the children of poor! How pathetic! Whole argument is lame and stupid in itself. Punjab Government and Chhota Sharif is involved in the sacrilegious murder of different schools of Punjab province. We will explain this folly a bit more but let’s talk about the fraud of Daanish School System first. The School system itself is a political move lacking the notion of general charity and humanity. Smaller Sharif doesn’t tell media and illiterate people about the cost of this bound-to-be-a-failure project. Let’s tell them now. Do we know that Smaller Sharif reduced the number of Schools in Punjab from 65000 to mere 40000 and among 40000 schools nearly 31% are operational and almost 20% are just on papers? Do we know what smaller Sharif did to show the primary school enrolment in government schools equal to 90% +? No we don’t! Sharif merged the schools of one district and forcefully enrolled the students to one particular school. A field survey of the merged schools show that some schools that have been merged are more than 60 miles away from each other. So what students are going to do? Educationalist (loyal to Pakistan) fear that the School Drop Out rate will increase exponentially in Punjab because students will not travel distances as large as 60 miles! So who Smaller Sharif is fooling here? To show 100% enrolment in schools, he is closing down schools and creating Ghost Students! Shame!!! And still to understand this folly some of the stern supporters of Two Sharifs are counting this move as a great success? Didn’t we have enough Ghost Schools that now Smaller Sharif is creating ghost students too? Well, does anyone know the massive cuts Smaller Sharif did in education budget of the province? Free Books that were distributed all over Punjab to every student of every constituency are just now limited to Daanish Schools of Smaller Sharif! So this means that only the stooges of the Two Sharifs will benefit from the free books! Rather to appoint new teachers and fill the empty slots, Smaller Sharif closed down schools and said that he has filled all the vacant slots of professional teachers in the province. Another factor is that Two Sharifs came up with this joke during the time when the demand of a separate Saraiki province is at it’s peak. Smaller Sharif selected the districts of Southern Punjab for the execution of this project to deter the supporters of Saraiki province. This is a matter of shame because any of us who has travelled to South Punjab is witness to the most pathetic living conditions despite that large revenue and agricultural products such as cotton are grown in South Punjab. Smaller Sharif jested with public again by twisting the figures and facts to show that Schools in Punjab are showing more than 90% enrolment and Daanish School System! Heavy funding is directed towards the Daanish School and funding of the government schools (some of them even lack basic facilities such as bathrooms and furniture) is reduced to an alarming level. We should know that Khadim-e-Aala didn’t cut his personal expenses and the expensive of his entourage of advisers and ministers. Education is being murdered in Punjab by Smaller Sharif and no one is paying any heeds. Just like Islamabad-Lahore Motorway that was built on the loan with sky-rocketing mark-up and the money of Qarz Utaro Mulk Snawaaro.
why govt. does not spend on the existing schools and on the training of in-service teachers?
as our politicians are not practical people, they can't realize the flaws in the planning.
poorest people in punjab need basic necessities of life so education is not at least their children priority.
the same amount of money is being spent on military cadet colleges but no body speaks on that.even more amount of money is being spent on foreign scholarships.there should always be a small number of packages (as i will call them) granted on pure merit that should guarantee their ticket to the elite of our country who other wise do not have the chance, no matter how much the country has to spend for it. we must not let our prejudices come between logical thinking.
lolz… NOora bradraan ko kon samjhaye magar?? 😀
This is the most ridiculous argument i've ever heard of. If Danish schools are enrolling deserving students, they are poorest of class, and schools are upholding merit. Its the best way to do it by giving education to 1 child from 1 illiterate family background.
I must say, you so called 'change bringers' are ELITE and you're being helping hands of establishment. Try to open your mind before criticizing something in the name of politics.
Justifying one wrong by quoting another. keep it up.
plz i want to know the address of danish school plzz help me its very important for me kindly its my request help me plzzzzzzzzzzz
Plz send me adress and telephone number of danish school in Muzaffar garh
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