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home Imparting
education
By Babar A Mufti "When I first came to
Pakistan, I did not think they have bookstores here, at least not the one's Third month in and out of streets of Islamabad, his perceptions are seemingly changing. He thinks now there is more to Islamabad than what appears on the surface. "The bookstores in Islamabad are really nice. They have a variety of books, including the best sellers. Literature on Afghanistan is awesome." It is a true description from a foreigner's point of view, who seldom goes out of his/her preferred safe areas of Diplomatic Enclave (F-5), F-6 and F-7 sectors. Bookstores such as Saeed Book Bank, Mr. Books, London Book Company, and Old Books are all located within a distance of two miles from each other in the same vicinity. Combined, these shops have by far the best collection of books in Islamabad. It is here that one realises that reading books is a luxury and is inextricably linked to income. The lower income residential areas do not have high-quality bookstores to match the ones in Islamabad's wealthy residential areas. Saeed Book Bank is by far the biggest in Islamabad. It is located in the F-7 Markaz, which is one of the most visited markets of the city. It houses a large number of books and does not deal with the pirated editions of the very fashionable bestsellers in Pakistan. Such pirated editions, however, can very conveniently be found in the neighbouring smaller old bookstores at one-fourths of the original price. The old bookshops scattered in the same two sectors also have amazing collection. The only difficulty, according to Sara, is the tedious search involved. "What upsets me there is that their system is not computerised. They keep the books in haphazard way and expect you to find what you want," she commented pausing her search for a while. Such a hunt, for sure, can take hours without yielding the desired results. It is quite a task to go in those bookshops and search across the bookshelves to find something worthwhile. At any time, you are bound to come across a few highly involved, oblivious foreigners looking through the apparent heaps of unwanted books. They have the knack and know how fruitful the exercise can be. Waheed, a worker at one of these old bookstores in F-6, explains the exact value of these abandoned books. "Many foreigners and affluent Pakistanis sell their books here before they leave the country. Extra-baggage you see. These books are rare. They are real foreign editions and are in good shape. Sometimes not even read once." Saeed Book Bank, compared to Old Books, is too well organised. You can find what they have and what they don't have. One can even ask them to get you a copy of any book you want and they make sure you get it even if they have to order it from overseas. In terms of both variety and number, Saeed Book Bank is well equipped. "I like it upstairs" says an eight year old looking at a bookshelf full of childrens' books at Saeed. "I am here to buy 'Around the World in Eighty Days.'" Some childrens' books cost surprisingly low at the bookstore. The Indian editions are really cheap and are available at affordable rates. However, the Indian editions are generally available only in the category of literature, classics and course books. The girl's mother, who is a visiting journalist from abroad, has her own reasons for the upper floor of Saeed Books. "It is impressive to see that the Pakistani kids are exposed to such world literature. This is going to help all of us come together. The storybooks here are not just from the West. There are also Chinese stories full of wisdom available here." She further said, "I prefer Saeed Books as it reminds me of Barnes & Noble back home. It is fascinating to see the Middle Eastern and British newspapers also available here." "But the bookstore is uncomfortably packed. I bet there is no room for one more bookshelf," commented Arieb, a student who is here to complete a research project. He prefers London Book Company at Kohsar Market in Islamabad because they have a place to sit. "I like to go to London Books instead. Their set up is more like a bookstore back in the US. You could grab a cup of coffee while skimming through the books," he further said. In comparison to Saeed Book Bank, London Book Company has a different atmosphere. It is more of a laid-back readers bookstore unlike the highly commercialised Saeed Book Bank. Rethinking
Education By Muhammad Ali Khan 'Rethinking Education in Pakistan' is a product of Shahid Siddiqui's scholarly pursuit in the capacity of teacher educator, researcher, and social thinker. The recurrent theme of the book is critical thinking and reflection which is very carefully built up in the book. Dr. Siddiqui's aim doesn't seem to reject or accept any school of thought in totality but to analyse and assess in order to offer a holistic understanding of the beliefs and practices and explore potential alternatives. The writer draws the
evidence for building his case from a very broad range of sources, ranging
from The structure of the book enables the reader to think and reflect on the Policy issues, Teacher and Teacher education, Curriculum and Materials which has its bearing on the other sections of the book: Language Issues, School, Home and the current Research and Assessment practices in Pakistan. In the first section of the book under the heading Policy issues have six articles that offer the critique of the philosophy of neo-liberalism and its unquestioned, unchecked pervasive impact on the entire education system of Pakistan. The main concern these articles show is the need to revisit the educational policy of Pakistan striking the balance between the qualitative and quantitative aspects in all areas of education in Pakistan. The article 'Commodification of Education' clearly shows that the entire academic system of the country has turned into a supermarket. "A large number of educational institutions emerged as 'industrial Zones' or 'production units' whose sole aim was maximising the profit by producing more." In this corporate model that is being followed, the writer makes his readers see that knowledge is seen as commodity, Knowledge is commodity, and teachers are reduced to the level of sales person. To drive his point across, the writer gives the example of famous private schools with their chain across the country which Rehman (1998) calls them business empire. Siddiqui sees the mercantile practices in opening the branches which he calls 'outlets'. His description evokes Conrad's 'Nostroma', 'Heart of Darkness' and the classic of 'Robinson Crusoe' where the main principle is the maximisation of profit and the exploitation of the simple masses. The major difference is the exploiters in these novels are the outsiders but in our case they are both outsiders and insiders. Dr. Siddiqui supports the efforts made at improvising the Higher education in Pakistan but he raises the question of the qualitative aspect of it. The present practices of research in the local universities needs to be revisited. It is the absence of "research tradition" at par with the standard of world universities. In our education policies we have not given the due importance to the qualitative aspect of our educational institutions. The second section of the book: Teacher and Teacher Education have eight articles whose main thrust is on changing the beliefs and attitude of the teachers. Unfortunately Teacher Education Programmes in the country have focused on methodology and strategies instead on enabling teachers to re-conceptualise basic educational issues. Like Tagore's short story 'The Parrot's Training', for educating the bird to please the Raja, all the stakeholders put in tremendous effort. A cage of Gold was made for the bird and scribes wrote books that could touch the sky. However, no one notice that the bird had died long in the cage. Teacher education programmes in the country has lost sight of the teachers. The article 'The Work shop syndrome' demonstrates how novel idea of Learning by doing given by John Dewey, has been misused in Pakistan. The author is not against the novel idea of workshop whose entire philosophy was to add practical dimension to learning but with the practice of using the workshop as an end itself. The result of this, as Siddiqui argues that how educational change is possible without changing the frozen belief system. The touch and go teaching culture practiced at all levels of education known also as "briefcase teaching" culture is critiqued on the ground that it has not only created stasis and stagnation for the practitioners but has adversely affected the value system of eastern education. The fourth section titled Language Issues explores the paradoxes in the language policy of the country and the practices of English Language teaching in the country. 'The Language Factor' questions the centrality English language in the power corridors of Pakistan. "Various governments, for their political interests, played wantonly with the issue of Language". Shahid Siddiqui (2007) together with Tariq Rehman (2000) and Sabiha Mansoor (2005) takes a stance of offering Language options and choice to the people of the country. The streamlining of the policy matters require consensus and debate and practical efforts to restore Urdu its due place as written in the constitution of the country and various policy documents. Moreover, this section also offers analysis of the ELT practices in the country. In Pakistan teaching of English Language is taken as teaching of English Literature as majority of the teachers perceive Language teaching as teaching of novels, dramas and poetry. The author proposes a middle ground of teaching language through literature. Section 5, 'Curriculum and Material' reviews the latest literature published on curriculum and Material development. Siddiqui, as usual, is careful not to be carried away by the new slogans but analyses the impact of these on our educational context. He views curriculum not as something which sits on the shelf of policy makers but "a vibrant phenomenon of which students, teachers, teaching material and school culture are important components." The last section of the book 'Research and Assessment' analyses the quality aspect of existing research practices carried out in the local university. "Most of the research in established universities in Pakistan is mere repetition of earlier ones. In some cases even the subsidiary questions of an earlier research are replicated. The ultimate aim of such researchers and research thesis is to get their authors degrees". Before making the generalised statement the author has unpacked his idea of quality which is the addition to the existing knowledge of the world. One can disagree with the author on setting such stringent benchmark considering the intellectual infrastructure of the country. Rethinking Education in Pakistan offers a fresh perspective on the traditional ideas and notions about issues in education in Pakistan. Written in a lucid manner, the articles in the book form a coherent whole, engaging enough to be recommended to the widest possible audience, i.e., research students, practicing teachers, teacher educators, curriculum planners, and policy makers. Learning English at the expense of our own languages By Amara Javed I recently came across an article about a man who defiantly ran an English speaking course in a small town of Afghanistan despite constant threats from the Taliban who ruled there. He was gunned down in cold blood by those hard-line 'Islamists' in their attempts to destroy every, and anything associated with the infidel West -- The Big Bad West. As you dig deeper and deeper into third world mentality, you discover an interesting contradiction: we hate and love the West, and all its associations, with the same intensity. It's understandable, and I
guess even acceptable, considering the situation. Most, if not all, third These countries, including us, are postcolonial -- a sensitive label which seems to have lost any clear cut definition. And when the debate turns to language, the perplexity grows. Here arises the issue of imperialism and the postcolonial mindset. When generations of a country are subjected to oppression at the hands of a more 'superior' race, they are bound to become awe-stricken of those who regard themselves as superior. It is only natural that we admire those in power, and it is only natural that this admiration mutates itself into imitation. Postcolonial discussions always lead to talk of control. Our former colonial masters, the British, have managed to retain control over us without actually being here because they control our institutions of education. Let's talk about the prevailing educational systems in the country today. There are two. Both of them are British. But one is modern and hip. An increasing number of students opt to do GSCE (O and A levels) rather than Matriculation. Why? The answer is simple. The GSCE is foreign, taught the British way, and at the end you give a British exam and get a British mark sheet. And we all know that anything with a foreign stamp is better than something Pakistani made. In the majority of Pakistan's private school systems students are discouraged from conversing in Urdu, in some cases they are even penalised. Yes, English should be spoken and practiced to ensure solid marks in examinations. But is it really that simple? I believe there is something more to it. We speak English because the language has become representative of education, modernity and etiquette. It is what separates us from the illiterate. Just as our colonial masters used the language to differentiate their educational standards from ours decades ago, we do the same today. The difference? The colonists subjugated us -- we are subjugating our own kind. And in the middle of all this Urdu-English drama, the native tongue in at least one province, Punjab, has been completely disregarded. Anyone who publicly speaks Punjabi is a social embarrassment. Those of us who come from this province are guilty of thinking this way, that Punjabi will automatically label us as uncivilised, uneducated goofs who just don't know any better. I honestly believe that for future generations, the Punjabi language will be a distant memory; an emblem of the past. Nor can we ignore the Western cultural domination. So, is this a new kind of colonialism? Where we let the former masters rule over us through cultural and linguistic domination? Renowned Kenyan novelist Ngugi Wa Thiongio refused to write in the English language as protest against the atrocities committed in his country by colonists. With this symbolic step he became a champion for those who oppose Western domination and cultural breakdown. We should let this be a lesson to us. Instead we laugh at those who do not speak English fluently. How many times have we ridiculed our cricket players when they stammer through an interview? I remember watching Theirry Henry, renowned footballer, go through an entire interview on ESPN (a globally syndicated American sports channel) in French with English subtitles running down the screen translating his words. He did not feel compelled to prove his aptitude through knowledge of English, but then again, he does not come from a postcolonial country; torn with complexities and identity crises. The postcolonial debate is exhausted in literary circles the world over, especially in former colonies like ours. But this is more than just an issue of language; it has become a discourse on identity. Is it not somewhat disconcerting that Cambridge and Oxford Universities have included Ghalib and Faiz in their Literature syllabi yet we are not taught these great poets in our own country's top Literature programmes? We study Irish, British, Russian, French, African, even Indian, writers. So much for heritage and pride. How many young people do you know who actually read Urdu poetry and novels? I know two; and I have a deep-rooted respect for both of their literary abilities. Take us back to the time when Urdu was the language of intellectuals; bring us another Halqa Arbab-e-Zauq; revive the beauty hidden under the layers of heavily accented English. Bring us back our identity. Language is one of the crucial factors when it comes to differentiating cultures and heritage; it is what makes you unique. English has established itself as the universal language, it is the language spoken by the two largest superpowers in the world: America and Britain. It is true that in order to progress and grow, one must be able to communicate fluently with the rest of the world. But we cannot do so at the expense of our own language. English is the language that brings the world together, our language is what sets us apart. By Kazy Javed Remembering Benazir Benazir Bhutto's cold-blooded assassination has shocked our literary intelligensia as much as the rest of the nation. A number of elegies have been composed on her tragic demise in many languages of the land. While some of these have been printed in newspapers and magazines, others are recited at condolences held for the martyred leader. Literary references for her are also being held in many cities and towns. A well attended literary
reference for Benazir Bhutto was arranged in Lahore by the Punjab chapter of
the Association of Progressive Writers. It was presided over by noted
fictionist and journalist Hamid Shahid Mehmood said that the sad demise of Benazir Bhutto has shocked poets, writers and artists more than the common people. I.A. Rehman expressed the view that Benazir Bhutto was a symbol of hope for the 160 million people of all the provinces of the country. Her murder is the murder of hope. Another well attended literary reference for Benazir Bhutto was jointly organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and Strengthening Participatory Organization in Islamabad. Its participants included literati as well as civil society activists. The chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, poet Iftikhar Arif, was in the chair. Speakers at the meeting which included Dr. Abid Sulehri, Harris Khalique. B.A. Malik, Gohar Jamal and Pushto poets Ali Akbar Sial and Ibrar Mohammad Khan. Paying tributes to the leader, they highlighted her courage and sacrifices for the restoration of democracy in the country. Iftikhar Arif described Ms. Bhutto as a symbol of the federation, a representative of Pakistan at the international level and at home and lastly hope for the vulnerable and the weak. The mood in Hyderabad was different where a number of writers, poets and newspaper columnist gathered to condole the death of Benazir Bhutto in a meeting arranged by the Sindh Democratic Forum. The speakers at the meeting included Taj Joyo, Ghulam Nabi Moghul, Agha Rafiq, Shamsher Hydri, Zulfiqar Hallepoto and Akbar Kazi. Israr Zaidi's latest book At the age of 84 Israr
Zaidi is probably the senior most poet in Lahore. Till the recent closure The closure of the Tea House has greatly curtailed Zaidi's activities. Nonetheless, he is still contributing weekly columns to the 'Akhbar-e-Jahan' of Karachi. He has now come up with his fourth book carrying pen-sketches of thirteen contemporary Urdu writers. Published under the title 'Bam-o-der Jin sey Roshan Hooey', the volume is dedicated to Dr. Agha Sohail, another senior writer of Lahore who published his highly readable autobiography last year. The thirteen writers that Israr Zaidi has chosen include Faiz Saheb, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Ashfaq Ahmad, Majeed Amjad, Rahim Gul, Mustansar Hussain Tarrar, Mirza Adeeb, Ehsan Danish, Dr. Agha Sohail, Saif Zulfi, Qamar Ajnalvi, and Malik Maqbood Ahmad.
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which sell apparently banned books like 'Military Inc'," said Phil who
is visiting Pakistan on an official assignment. "My co-workers were
concerned about my safety and even more so about my day to day life in, what
they thought, the world's most dangerous country. I was told to take with me
a large collection of books so that I don't run short of reading material and
to stay at home," he added.
his personal experience as a teacher educator and researcher, indepth study
of the educational policies of the country, and contemporary literature in
the domain of education. Talking about various components of education he
refers to teacher as a central actor in action. He firmly believes that
teachers can play an important part in initiating and sustaining educational
and social change. In his words "A well- equipped teacher can create
ways to improve the situation even under given constraint. The pivotal
position of a teacher signifies the crucial role teacher education can play
in Pakistan."
world countries (the politically correct term would be 'developing nations')
have been colonies of one or more Western countries some time in their past.
Akhtar. I.A. Rehman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Aslam
Gurdaspuri, known as the poet of the Pakistan People's Party were the chief
guests. Playwright Shahid Mehmood Nadeem, progressive literary critic Rashid
Misbah, columnist and poet Sarfraz Syed, critic Ashfaq Rashid and secretary
of the Association Abid Hussain Abid were the speakers at the meeting. They
showered tributes on the martyred leader and also discussed her political
views and struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country. Paying
tribute in verse were Professor Razi Haider and Shafiq Ahmad Shafiq, known as
the last comrade in Lahore.
of
the Pak Tea House, he was always seen there, surrounded by young writers who
sought his guidance in literary matters, arranging literary functions,
especially mushairas and participating in literary politics.