Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the reason the state of education in Pakistan is so bad

[kamrananvaar]

Khaala bag proposed by Nawaz Sharif denied based on the consensus taking every political parties into the account including the account of Pervez Khattak which Imran Khan recently hired given the history of Pervez Khattak's anti-development of Pakistan.

Are you that naive not to know the truth at all?




Basically, you want Pakistan to live in stone old age instead of living in 21st century. Brilliant. Indeed, you guys are here for the modern Tabdheeli [modern change].

nah just dont believe in corruption , period
are u that naive , or are u employed by goon league media squad
believe in the fact if we get rid of corrupt politicians pakistan will definately prosper

 

[Finer]

nah just dont believe in corruption , period
are u that naive , or are u employed by goon league media squad
believe in the fact if we get rid of corrupt politicians pakistan will definately prosper

I respect that you are anti-corruption. So what does that say about Imran Khan who has fired his own accountability team for exposing corruption from within his party not long ago?

 

[jamal18]

In almost every developed country people speak their own language they get educated in their own language but yahan toh jitni taiz angreezi utna he purha likha!

Confused nation!

A few years ago, I had a Spanish friend. He was a business man from Spain who came to London to start afresh because the Spanish economy had collapsed. In Spain he was a successful business man.

He literally didn't speak a single word of English. Zilch. Nada.

'English is the language of business!'

 

[Humble Analyst]

blaming one person does not solve the challenges

It helps identify the causes.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the reason the state of education in Pakistan is so bad
By Shakir Lakhani Published: November 11, 2016

Teachers no longer took their work seriously, knowing that being government employees, they could never be sacked. PHOTO: REUTERS

I recently came across an Urdu newspaper in which the date was stated to be October 32, 2016. Apparently the editor didn’t know that October has only 31 days, and it can’t ever have 32 days, not even if Imran Khan wants it and threatens to lock down the whole world if it is not done. Teachers of English in our schools are not qualified to teach, which is why most Pakistanis routinely add an apostrophe before an “s” even when it is not required.

Education standards have deteriorated drastically. I usually come across such phrases as “his” husband or “her” wife. At such times I wish that the writer would stick to his mother tongueinstead of massacring the English language. One of the aims of a good education is to train students to express themselves (if not in English, at least in their mother language). Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

It was undoubtedly Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave the death blow to quality education in the country. His rampant nationalisation of schools and colleges to provide jobs for his party workers (one of whom became the principal of a school despite not being able to sign his name) ensured that the common man would never be able to provide a decent education for his children. Teachers no longer took their work seriously, knowing that being government employees, they could never be sacked.

A couple of years ago (40 years after the reckless nationalisation of education), I interviewed a graduate of a prestigious business institution of the country. He didn’t even know basic math (including how to calculate percentage increase or decrease in prices). In fact, he could not even do simple addition or subtraction. When I asked him what he would do without a calculator, he said a modern cell phone can also be used as a calculator. I asked him what he’d do if he didn’t have a calculator or a cell phone and needed to do simple calculations like when paying for groceries.

“I’ll ask someone who knows how to do it”, he said.

When I asked him how he was able to get his current job, he smiled and said,

“My father is a senior government officer”.

Way back in 1972, in the first cabinet of Bhutto, the health minister, Sheikh Rasheed, announced that by introducing generic medicines in the country, prices had come down by up to “a 1000%”. And he said this at an international conference outside Pakistan, which made us the laughing stock of the whole world. One foreign reporter asked the minister how prices could be reduced by a 1000%, since a decrease of only 100% in the price of any item would mean that its price would now be zero. I don’t remember how the minister retrieved himself from this awkward situation. Someone should have told him that by reducing the price of something by a 1000%, the pharmacy selling that item would not only have to give it away for free, but would also have to pay Rs900 to the buyer.

So, even before Bhutto nationalised schools and colleges to provide jobs for his party activists, quality education was not available in some government schools (like the one in which Sheikh Rasheed studied and passed his matric exam). I was surprised that Bhutto didn’t replace him (perhaps because he was a senior member of the party and already beyond retirement age).

I, myself, was fortunate to have studied in a missionary school which is famous for having produced a president of the country, a prime minister as well as a provincial governor and chief minister, a senior Indian politician and some army generals (a couple of whom were my classmates). One of my class fellows is a well-known columnist writing for a leading English newspaper of the country.

Teachers were dedicated and strict. The school was run by Dutch Christian priests who spoke to us only in English. They were strict disciplinarians who didn’t hesitate to cane us if we didn’t do our homework. This school was among the two missionary schools in Karachi that were not nationalised, but when I had my son admitted there in 1980 I found that the former teachers had retired and had been replaced by those who were products of nationalised schools and were not as good as ours had been. Nowadays, of course, private schools have sprung up and children of the elite are being trained to get good jobs after they graduate. But even some private school teachers are not as good as the ones we had when we were kids. My teachers were so good that I didn’t need tuition, but most children nowadays need to avail private tuitions to be able to pass. Perhaps it’s because school teachers are not paid more than the minimum wage prescribed by the government.

It will be a long time before things improve, and I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.

Shakir Lakhani
Engineer, former visiting lecturer at NED Engineering College, industrialist, associated with petroleum/chemical industries for many years. Loves writing, and (in the opinion of most of those who know him), mentally unbalanced. He tweets @shakirlakhani (twitter.com/shakirlakhani)

Agree 2000%

 

[alimobin memon]

Defense funding costs money. How do you suppose the money comes from? By begging the world that please donate us? Even defense budgets is attached to the economy. If the economy does well, that means happy ending for the sectors of education and health, and that also means funding for defense.

Instead of prioritizing defense funding only, why not prioritize the stable economy over defense funding since the stable economy is what will keep the nation afloat and also defense funding too.



How dare you? Are you saying the democratic elected government was the reason Nuclear program happened and not the military leader? That is not going to sit well with some member who grew up romanticizing the army.



You mean the same Imran Khan that wanted to legalize Terrorist-outfit aka TTP that burned every infrastructures of Pakistan, and killed more than 50,000 innocent people? Not to mention hired Pervez Khattak who had long history of anti-development of Pakistan including his anti-stances of Khaala bag dam?

Most importantly, Imran Khan couldn't even assure to the investors that just defected from KPK recently right under the leadership of Imran Khan.

Imran Khan lacks business sense given his whole life that has fed him like platter and even his hospitals are running on donation. He has no basic understanding of the economy, or else he wouldn't have subscribed to the anarchism that took cities and towns as hostage, forcibly closed down the local businesses against their wills costing more than 500 billion rupees in the whole month of dharna. Does that sound like business man to you or the very least the one with common sense?

The only reason the economy of Pakistan is stabilizing is due to Nawaz Sharif - the same one who assumed the leadership of Pakistan during the time of unstable economy coupled with terrorism and criminal activities were so strife that people gave up hope back then.

Whether people like Nawaz Sharif or not, but he knows the business when it comes to the development of Pakistan. He is many things which are not compliment, but when it comes to development, he is the first to do it without hesitation and even more qualified to take the economy forward than any leaders whether military or political leaders like Zardari and Imran Khan.

All members are professional here that is why I said what I believe, Everyone has an opinion. People who bash bhutto. quaid or ayub khan I dont reply them with hate speech so I expect same from others.

 

[Solomon2]

Agree 2000%

I'm not sure I agree with the author. I'm more leading towards @Kaptaan's explanation and the influence of Zia.

 

[Humble Analyst]

I'm not sure I agree with the author. I'm more leading towards @Kaptaan's explanation and the influence of Zia.

Well I saw it happening and had always expressed this amongst friends. Bhutto destroyed the education system, giving students traveling concessions on buses, made them take part in politics. The aim was to capture youth vote and did not care about the unwanted effects.

 

[mueeztheman]

No one should be educated in a foreign language in their own country. First step of national awakening will be large scale use of Urdu, maybe even regional languages

 

[Kakaspai]

RAW

if only RAW could bring education to us

 

[acha-wala-kejriwal]

In Europe nobody is educated in English, every body is educated in their own language.

Ha ha so jia-ul-haq has been exonerated . . You are trying to shield Pakistan army

 

[SQ8]

Bhutto ruined both education and the job market via his quota system, Zia ruined the entirety of Pakistan with his Islamization.

 

[MULUBJA]

Somebody said that It was Zia ul haq. The point here is that you can not build a nation on haterate some community. Buth ZIa and Butto died long way. Who stops pakistan to take corrective measure?

 

[Evora]

1. Zulfiqar Bhutto is the reason we are bad in education
2. Zia ul Haq is the reason we have drugs and weapon culture in Pakistan
3. Zardari is the reason we are most corrupt people in every field
4. Nawaz Sharif is the reason we are dump and incapable.

We got excuse for every reason...

 

[eddie01]

If Education system in Pakistan is not up to the mark...then why don't you guys upgrade it.
Take up this issue with central ministry..
Do Pakistan have student's union?
This is golden period for Asia.
Now or never. Tough world

lol they are good at only one thing which is accepted by the world and for that education is not needed but a brainwashed mind. what an irony

 

[MastanKhan]

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the reason the state of education in Pakistan is so bad
By Shakir Lakhani Published: November 11, 2016

Teachers no longer took their work seriously, knowing that being government employees, they could never be sacked. PHOTO: REUTERS

I recently came across an Urdu newspaper in which the date was stated to be October 32, 2016. Apparently the editor didn’t know that October has only 31 days, and it can’t ever have 32 days, not even if Imran Khan wants it and threatens to lock down the whole world if it is not done. Teachers of English in our schools are not qualified to teach, which is why most Pakistanis routinely add an apostrophe before an “s” even when it is not required.

Education standards have deteriorated drastically. I usually come across such phrases as “his” husband or “her” wife. At such times I wish that the writer would stick to his mother tongueinstead of massacring the English language. One of the aims of a good education is to train students to express themselves (if not in English, at least in their mother language). Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

It was undoubtedly Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave the death blow to quality education in the country. His rampant nationalisation of schools and colleges to provide jobs for his party workers (one of whom became the principal of a school despite not being able to sign his name) ensured that the common man would never be able to provide a decent education for his children. Teachers no longer took their work seriously, knowing that being government employees, they could never be sacked.

A couple of years ago (40 years after the reckless nationalisation of education), I interviewed a graduate of a prestigious business institution of the country. He didn’t even know basic math (including how to calculate percentage increase or decrease in prices). In fact, he could not even do simple addition or subtraction. When I asked him what he would do without a calculator, he said a modern cell phone can also be used as a calculator. I asked him what he’d do if he didn’t have a calculator or a cell phone and needed to do simple calculations like when paying for groceries.

“I’ll ask someone who knows how to do it”, he said.

When I asked him how he was able to get his current job, he smiled and said,

“My father is a senior government officer”.

Way back in 1972, in the first cabinet of Bhutto, the health minister, Sheikh Rasheed, announced that by introducing generic medicines in the country, prices had come down by up to “a 1000%”. And he said this at an international conference outside Pakistan, which made us the laughing stock of the whole world. One foreign reporter asked the minister how prices could be reduced by a 1000%, since a decrease of only 100% in the price of any item would mean that its price would now be zero. I don’t remember how the minister retrieved himself from this awkward situation. Someone should have told him that by reducing the price of something by a 1000%, the pharmacy selling that item would not only have to give it away for free, but would also have to pay Rs900 to the buyer.

So, even before Bhutto nationalised schools and colleges to provide jobs for his party activists, quality education was not available in some government schools (like the one in which Sheikh Rasheed studied and passed his matric exam). I was surprised that Bhutto didn’t replace him (perhaps because he was a senior member of the party and already beyond retirement age).

I, myself, was fortunate to have studied in a missionary school which is famous for having produced a president of the country, a prime minister as well as a provincial governor and chief minister, a senior Indian politician and some army generals (a couple of whom were my classmates). One of my class fellows is a well-known columnist writing for a leading English newspaper of the country.

Teachers were dedicated and strict. The school was run by Dutch Christian priests who spoke to us only in English. They were strict disciplinarians who didn’t hesitate to cane us if we didn’t do our homework. This school was among the two missionary schools in Karachi that were not nationalised, but when I had my son admitted there in 1980 I found that the former teachers had retired and had been replaced by those who were products of nationalised schools and were not as good as ours had been. Nowadays, of course, private schools have sprung up and children of the elite are being trained to get good jobs after they graduate. But even some private school teachers are not as good as the ones we had when we were kids. My teachers were so good that I didn’t need tuition, but most children nowadays need to avail private tuitions to be able to pass. Perhaps it’s because school teachers are not paid more than the minimum wage prescribed by the government.

It will be a long time before things improve, and I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.

Shakir Lakhani
Engineer, former visiting lecturer at NED Engineering College, industrialist, associated with petroleum/chemical industries for many years. Loves writing, and (in the opinion of most of those who know him), mentally unbalanced. He tweets @shakirlakhani (twitter.com/shakirlakhani)

Hi,

Thank you for posting this article---. I am witness to the deterioration of the system brought in by Zulfiqar Bhutto.

I was a young adult when he came in power---my dad was posted in interior Sindh province at that time----.

From excellent schools and colleges and a developing industrial base---everything got destroyed within the first 3 to 4 years of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's regime.

ZAB left us with a very good education system, there was hiring process for teachers with minimum qualification and regular reviews, mandatory training every two years in their respective subjects. I am sorry for the ignorance of Mr. Lakhani and since he went to missionary schools and was able to speak English does not mean he is the only one who could speak and spell and it wasn't only the missionary schools which produced bright English speaking students like Mr. Lakhani. I got all my education from Govt Schools in Karachi, we had excellent teachers who were dedicated to their profession, I still sometime think about my teachers from Primary and secondary schools and how they have made an impression on my life. In fact, had we continued properly with the education system setup by ZAB we would have less corruption in our society since children's education is the first thing that inclines parents to accept corruption money so they can send their kids to private English medium schools and pay Rs. 10,000 monthly for each of their 4 kids while making 25,000/month on govt job.

my message to Mr. Lakhani: just because you can write in English doesn't mean you have to write something even if you have no idea but just the language skills.

Hi,

That is a lie. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was a despicable character---.

I am a witness to the destruction caused by him to our education and industrial system.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto raped the country and made it a wh-ore.

1. Zulfiqar Bhutto is the reason we are bad in education
2. Zia ul Haq is the reason we have drugs and weapon culture in Pakistan
3. Zardari is the reason we are most corrupt people in every field
4. Nawaz Sharif is the reason we are dump and incapable.

We got excuse for every reason...

Hi,

If you had the ability to understand---you would have realized that you have answered the question or the reasoning very well.

Basically---the answer is staring at your face---you just need to understand it.

Try it---if you don't find it---let me know and I will help you find it.