Framework for Economic Growth, Pakistan - Planning Commission

International conference on “Framework for Economic Growth, Pakistan”around them and have an impact on the localcommunity, the local environment and theeconomy.Question: As a Pakistani citizen what would be your comment about our primary education.Answer: We have a real problem with ourprimary education system. One of thefundamental issues universallyacknowledged is that a child learns early inthe mother tongue. We are binding ourpeople and putting chains around their necksto learn in a language which is not theirmother tongue. English is a very importantlanguage, but can be learnt only as alanguage. English doesn't have to be amedium of instruction and education. Use ofEnglish as a medium of education can’t beconducive to the development of thiscountry. Second important issue is that if weare one country we should have oneeducation system everywhere. In Pakistanwe have English medium, Urdu medium,Madrisa education, ‘O’ level, ‘A’ level etc.There is no problem with high school(matriculation) or intermediate (FA/F.Sc.)system but the problem is that how we teachthem. In primary education we need tofocus on the fundamental problems that howinnovatively we are teaching, a focus on theteacher, and provision of training to theteachers. We have an idea in Pakistan thatlower is the education level, lower thequalification required. In my point of viewwe should use Ph.D. psychologists for preschoolingfor their early age education andgrowth. We should reward the teachers bothfinancially as well in status as teacher is themost important element in this newdevelopment paradigm.One of the fundamental issues universally acknowledged is that achild learns early in the mother tongue. We are binding our peopleand putting chains around their necks to learn in a language which isnot their mother tongue.Question: Moving forward what do you see a major challenge for economic growth?Answers: The major challenge is theimplementation of FEG. We have crises ofgovernance in Pakistan. At the political andinstitutional levels nothing can beimplemented until there is some institutionalownership and agreement at the highestlevel. Just few days back we changed thelocal government system in a province. Ifyou have heard the debate on the creativecities the fundamental part was that if thereis no local government there is no creativecity. Ownership of institutional frameworkfor implementation would be a realchallenge for the government and the role ofthe leadership is important in this regard.***96