Suffering from the Ostrich Syndrome?
By Dr. A. Khan
Chicago, Illinois
It appears that by ignoring the importance of India’s moon mission, the government and media in Pakistan are suffering from the Ostrich syndrome. By launching the Moon Mission, India has achieved an important milestone in its scientific and technological development. India’s education system has played a pivotal role in developing the requisite workforce, technical know-how, and knowledge-base for achieving such a feat.
India’s ascendancy in science and technology is the result of the educational polices of the 1960s and 1970s which led to the establishment of IIT schools. These institutions have produced hundreds of PhDs and have given India an edge. In contrast, during the past four decades due to ad hoc education policies, nationalization of educational institutions, political interference in educational institutions and neglect of seats of higher learning, Pakistan’s science and technology education has declined.
The seats of higher learning have been allowed to be hijacked by political parties, and majority of private and public “diploma mills” are producing mediocre graduates. The number of science and technology graduates has also declined.
Lack of importance and priority given to education is evident from the mediocre background of people who were made minister of education. Generals, politicians, feudal lords, an oath commissioner, and a chemist, etc, were appointed to play the role of the minister of education. Due to decades of neglect the level of scientific and technological research in Pakistan is low. To compete and survive in a high-tech global village Pakistan needs to adopt revolutionary policies, new and emerging technologies and allocation of adequate funds for promoting science and technology education at primary, secondary and university levels.
The current government is making blunders that the past governments have made. The government needs to appoint professional world class leaders in the domains of applied sciences, engineering and technology to formulate and implement policies for improving the quality of education.
