EDITORIAL: Education and the SC

[Neo]

Thursday, July 06, 2006javascript:; http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2006\07\06\story_6-7-2006_pg3_1
EDITORIAL:

Education and the SC


First, the good news: the Supreme Court of Pakistan has become very pro-active and has begun to take notice of several issues that have a bearing on the socio-economic, if not political, life of this country. This is the right thing to do for starters. Now the bad news: many of the issues taken up by the court require expert opinion and cannot be treated on the basis of what seems straightforward or morally correct. Examples can range from serving meals at weddings to banning kite flying altogether because metal strings are killing people. In most such decisions the honourable judges have shown the tendency of staying close to the moral argument shorn of other implications, especially the impact of such reasoning on the economy. But the history of ideas shows that any moral philosophy or position that seeks to stand alone in its expression leads to simplistic solutions.

Now we have another observation from the court that requires a very cautious approach because it deals with a very vital aspect of the socio-economic life of this country: education.

The court has observed, quite correctly, that the education system in Pakistan is in a complete mess. The court was responding to a complaint by a citizen who noted that the state had abdicated its responsibility of providing inexpensive education and left people at the mercy of the private sector. So far so good. But then the court proceeded to argue that this is owed to the private sector. Not surprisingly, the court’s logic is predicated on the assumption that since the private sector has to make profit, it has not, and cannot, serve the higher cause of imparting education and good values. Is this correct?

Not really. Consider.

First it is important to see why the private sector in every country has entered the domain of education. If making profit attracts the private sector, this means there is a demand for education that the public sector cannot fulfil for one reason or the other and the private sector is willing and able to move into the void. This should be obvious enough. The corollary of this argument is that if we accept what the court has to say about the contribution of the private sector to the current mess in education, then the court must also, by implication, accuse the public sector for having created a situation that was ‘exploited’ by the private sector. From news reports it is not clear if the court’s argument has taken that direction.

Let’s now move to the issue of making profits. What factor must allow someone to make profits? Presumably, demand. If parents are able to educate their children through, for instance, the free schemes offered by the Punjab government, why should they be ready to spend thousands to get the same service from the private sector? Implied in this argument is the fact that for the private sector to make profit, it must continuously strive to stay ahead of the public sector in terms of the quality of service provided. So while much is wrong with the private sector, and that point must be conceded, its schools must be better, if only a shade better, than schools in the public sector in order for parents to prefer them over public schools. As one expert has noted, a good public sector is the best way to undermine the greedy private sector. This point also comes through in the citizen’s complaint, which the court has decided to hear. But, given the abysmal condition of public sector schools — in terms both of education and infrastructure — if the private sector is doing anything better it should be encouraged rather than be cast aside — or, as in this case, be held responsible for the mess in education.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, who is heading the bench hearing the complaint, has also observed that it is not clear who is responsible for the current situation. We beg to differ with the honourable CJ. Two factors stand out in this regard: indiscriminate nationalisation of schools, colleges and universities during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s period and their subsequent erosion in the hands of incompetent, lazy and corrupt ‘public servants’; and pro-active efforts by the state during General Zia ul Haq’s dictatorship to put a cap on free thinking and research. Even today, private schools are forced to include sub-standard books on Islamic studies and Pakistan studies at the higher levels. We would request the CJP to look into this issue from all dimensions and have the services of amici curiae to give the court expert opinion on the issue.

Finally, a word about the hidden assumption in the complainant’s petition: the complainant is arguing two points: the state does not provide good education; the private sector charges high fees. The operative part of the complaint is important in this regard. He has not said that the private sector is providing poor education; he is arguing that it charges high fees. His problem, clearly, is that the kind of education he wants for his children is not available in the public sector while he cannot afford the same education available in the private sector. The issue then is not to get the private sector to slash its fees and consequently lower the standard of its service but to get the public sector to match its performance without being too expensive. If the court really wants to deliberate this issue, it must not lose sight of the finer points that underpin this problem. *

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