In the modern, industrialized world the importance of education cannot be understated. To survive in this competitive society good education is vital as it gives the person a new perspective of looking at life and a deeper understanding of the world around them, thus providing them the tools necessary to lift themselves onto greater things. For a nation, the existence of such element spells evolution but for third world countries like Pakistan, a lot of struggle is required to provide good quality education to its younger generations and the inability to arrange the resources required hampers the country’s growth outlook.
Good quality education should be seen as a basic requirement for everyone regardless of their race, gender, economic background, or social standing but in the case of Pakistani citizens, a long list of problems causes them to drop out of school early or not start at all. These problems include:
For low-income households, the choice of sending your children to school comes with an opportunity cost as time spent in school could rather be spent earning money by doing odd jobs. Children are often pulled out of school if parents feel that time spent in school is not beneficial for their financial prospects thus damaging the child’s potential.
“The education sector in Pakistan is allocated only 14.54% of the total GDP” (macrotrends.net, Pakistan Education Spending 2017) which is not even close to fulfilling the needs of the world’s 6th most populous country, leaving schools underfunded and the education sector archaic.
Being the Wrong Gender
Despite recent advances in girl’s education, a lot of girls in Pakistan are denied their right to education due to religious, cultural, or family reasons. 1 in 3 girls is married before the age of 18 resulting in them leaving school prematurely. This shows that one gender then falls behind quite heavily due to the unequal access to education.
Distance from School
A major problem for kids living in remote areas is access to schools within reach, as children around Pakistan living in remote areas can walk up to 3 hours just to get to school which is too much for them on a daily basis and nearly impossible for the malnourished and the disabled.
So now we arrive at the question of how we must solve the issues these kids and their families face and the answer is effective personalized learning at home. Learning from home can solve most if not all of the issues these kids currently face. By creating a platform through which kids can get quality education online or through cable TV, we can bring schooling to them rather than force them to go long distances to school. Parents who did not send their kids for financial reasons do not have to worry about school expenses such as costly lunching, uniforms, and other miscellaneous charges. Parents who stopped their daughters from attending schools for religious or cultural reasons can afford to let their daughters get the education they need from the comfort of their homes. In the case of distant e-learning, learning can be personalized and children can learn at their own pace, this is especially helpful for the kids that suffer from disabilities who cannot keep up with normal classroom environments and require a method of teaching.
Then let us discuss how we can create a system of learning at home that is inclusive, well structured, and can provide a solid foundation for these kids to learn and grow without going through the hassle of traditional schooling.
Access to Classes
The first obstacle is how we can establish a mechanism for these kids to be able to access online classes, the solution can be large campaigns that can fund for computers or phones for the underprivileged families and Tutorial sessions on how to access and properly utilize these gadgets.
Instructors Online Presence
The great thing about online education is that a couple of great instructors can help and teach a very large number of children. This is especially helpful as a lot of underfunded schools provide low-quality teaching as the instructors they hire are only there because that is what the school can afford.
The active presence of instructors in this environment is very important. Instructors with an understanding of technology, pedagogy, and content creation can provide a meaningful learning experience for all involved, they must create a welcoming environment and encourage curiosity, deepening of online connection and boost interaction so children can feel the attention of the system thus leading to a more fulfilling experience.
Just like good instructors make being part of online classrooms an interesting and worthwhile experience, the existence of great diligent back-end support is vital for an online platform’s success. For the classroom to succeed they must keep the system error-free and solve any user-specific problems readily to keep the learning experience from deteriorating.
The planners of the system, to build a cohesive system that is built upon sound strategy, good planners are needed. Their duty is to promote effective means of teaching and learning through the platform, the deployment of its assets, and the expenditure needed to keep it going.
If we pay attention to the needs of the end-user and build a comfortable system, we can create an inviting and uplifting experience for students that will keep them dedicated to the material they are taught. In the present, we are all so closely connected but there are still many in the third world, especially the rural areas that are not part of this larger ecosystem and so, by extending our hand out through online education we can help our fellow citizens integrate into the larger global society.
Koomson, W. (2020, June 05). Distance Learning In Developing Countries. Retrieved August 9, 2020, from https://elearningindustry.com/distance-learning-pedagogy-developing-countries
PhineasJFR. (n.d.). 10 Barriers to Education That Children Living in Poverty Face. Retrieved August 9, 2020, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/10-barriers-to-education-around-the-world-2/