The Express Tribune: Khaled Ahmed: Why do we seek unity but end up with uniformity? If you want unity, teach yourself to tolerate diversity. Today, we are returning to a failed cure for our criticism of diversity in education. It should be interesting to examine this passion. A quick diagnosis says: we are leaning on intense isolationism to preserve the righteousness of a cause that doesn’t appeal to the world. English-medium education — called Boko Haram in xenophobic Nigeria — is our opening to a world we want to say goodbye to.
Imran Khan says there should be a uniform system of education in Pakistan. Instead, there are three: state sector, private sector and madrassa. Someone has applied a gloss to his thinking: we are producing three types of educated individuals who tend not to agree in their attitudes. Somehow, uniformity of thinking is the criterion and Pakistan will be better off if everybody thought the same and did not differ.
For some, it is wrong that the private sector stream is where only the privileged are educated. It offends their egalitarian view to see the poor remain outside the ambit of good-quality education. But the private stream of education is not only for the rich; some low-grade English-medium schools cater to the middle and lower middle classes as well. That’s the way it has always been in Islam’s historic madrassas too.
Categories: Asia, Human Rights, Human values, Interfaith tolerance, Law and Religion, Pakistan, Religion, Religious Values