Increasing literacy a cofactor of unemployment and suicides in
Gilgit-Baltistan
Linko
International
Thousands of years long but
established Princely states and other forms of local but traditional governance
systems across
Gilgit-Baltistan were not only ignorant about the education and
its importance but were consciously in opposition of adopting education for
their people. In the early years (1835) of 19
th century, Britishers
started promoting modern education system in sub-continent of India.
Historically, in 1893, Britishers established first ever three primary schools
in Gilgit, Astore and Gupis (Ghizir). In 1946 Aga Khan Foundation initiated 17 schools
in the region which gave a shift in the overall literacy promotion in the rural
societies of Gilgit-Baltistan. Promotion of girls education was not an easy job
but the people associated with Aga Khan Education Board have really burnt their
oil with a vision to transform societies from acute ignorance to enable to
accept change, diversity and pluralism.
Rapidness of change grew over the
decades, communication improved gradually, immigration and emigration become
faster, agriculture started moving from subsistence level to market oriented
and people were experiencing a new age with more opportunities and threats. Young
people once only supposed to rear livestock and go into the agriculture fields
for agrarian activities were now going to schools. Parents and old aged family
members experienced more workload and pressure due to unavailability of
workforce required for agriculture. New ways of earnings, jobs, businesses etc.
initiated a new paradigm new trends attractive enough to inspire communities to
seek hopes for better lives in new approaches.
Now societies started changing
and rate of change was growing every decade and year. With gradual universalization
and globalization rate of change in the outside world then in the traditional societies
of Gilgit-baltistan was quite higher. Net differences were building of
capacities of local communities, basic literacy promoting education versus
skillful education with creativity and innovation, market requirements and
dynamics, traditional tools vs modern intelligent technology etc. School system
due to bureaucratic redteppism was not responsive to the change and producing
paper oriented degrees continuously.
Now looking from a market
perspective, saturation and higher competitions for marks and grades societies
are getting confused whether their children need education? Irresponsive government education ministry
and machinery still stuck in promotion of literacy promotion. Schools, colleges
and universities do not promote critical and analytical thinking, communication
skills, and effective use of modern technology. Educational institutions and
government agencies are suffering from myopic thinking, curriculums are not synchronized,
books promote outdated information and approaches, no creativity, no
innovation, no problem oriented but focus on rot learning and making students’ grade
and marks crazy. Annual and semester examinations promote cheating and the
government has no vision to change assessment system for students, faculty and
administration.
In Gilgit-baltistan, every year a
minimum of 2000 students enter into job market but 95% having undergraduate and
post graduate degrees in their hands never hold any skill get frustrated from
unemployment. A small fraction of them having approaches find nepotized jobs,
rather jobs are created with a nepotized vision to accommodate their blue eyed
people. This has retarded the working and service efficiency of the government
and private sector equally.
Acute frustration and mental
pressures among the so called educated and literate people is getting more and
more gravity. There is no serious planning on how to improve quality in
education so that every graduate is skillful, innovative and create
contributing into the development of society. Political governments focus on accommodating
their respective party members so students rather than focusing on skill
development prefer to become part of corrupted so called vested interest based political
parties. In the coming five years would be more serious and critical to rethink
over changes in the education sector and transparency in appointments.
Ignorance and ill versioned plans
have lead many graduate to become frustrated and several have attempted
suicides. Unemployment and lack of skills have become one of major cause of
suicides in Gilgit-baltistan.
