The primary cause of deficits is the learning gap.
Many young people waste hours of their time on social media rather than concentrating on completing online courses.
ISLAMABAD:
It is a common topic of conversation among economists, public intellectuals, and members of the media that Pakistan’s poor economic performance can be attributed to the country’s budget and balance of payments deficits. On the other hand, there is little debate on the underlying source of the twin deficits, which is the deficit in learning.
The primary responsibilities of Pakistan’s educational institutions are the administration of tests, the monitoring of student attendance, and the conferring of degrees. As a direct consequence of this, thousands of young people complete their educations but remain unemployed for years afterward.
The lack of motivation and interest in learning and expanding one’s knowledge among students is almost probably the fault of the educational institutions they attend.
Even today’s kids do not put in the work necessary to educate themselves, despite the prevalence of internet connectivity. Many people are able to spend hours on social media and worship political leaders, but they never read books or participate in free online courses.
Additionally, businesspeople are not likely to put in much effort to better themselves in the business world. They have the misconception that they are too old to learn anything new and that their years of experience ought to suffice as a substitute for education, but this is not the case.
Businesses have to change with the times in order to remain competitive in the market, and this transition often necessitates the acquisition of new skills. They will need to receive training in export strategy, both for themselves and for the senior management of the company, if they intend to increase their exports.
It would appear that many in positions of political leadership are not interested in educating themselves on either public policy or the most recent developments in science and technology. The majority of politicians attend academic conferences for the sole purpose of delivering speeches because they do not believe they have a requirement to gain knowledge from events such as these.
There is a system in place for mandatory education for public officials, and over the years it has become increasingly regulated. Even within this network of policy practitioners, there is a shortage of individuals taking personal initiatives toward learning. Many people believe that Pakistan has already carried out a significant amount of research, and that the country is simply lacking in implementation. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult to locate any quality study on any topic that is relevant to citizens.
The majority of research conducted by professors and consultants who get funding from international organisations or donors focuses on the macro perspective of various problems. In our study works, there is scarcely any attention paid to the micro- and contextual-level components, as well as the collective agency. As a direct consequence of this, there is a lack of interest in research that is relevant.
Public libraries have been cut off from financial support by municipal governments and administrative districts. Existing libraries are in dire need of revitalization, finance, and, most critically, a revival of the reading-learning ecosystem. These needs must be met immediately.
Instead, it appears that the administrations and municipalities are putting precedence to the construction of roads, flyovers, and other infrastructure of a similar nature.
Public libraries and a literary culture are on the verge of extinction, if they haven’t already perished entirely, as a result of the state’s prioritisation of the funding of the construction of roads over other essential public services.
Pakistan has a rapidly growing population, but the country’s median age is only 23 years old. The culture of libraries needs to be revitalised, and digital access should be provided to books and information, but this is not being prioritised by government policy.
In addition, there is no system in place that monitors the shifting demand for books, themes, encyclopaedias, and other reference materials in light of the rapid development of our modern world. They have been concentrating their efforts mostly on flyovers and underpasses.
As a direct result of this, public libraries have been unable to keep up with the ever-increasing population as well as the shifting demand for digital access and printed books. There is no expected degree of performance for officials at the district level to invest in the public library system.
Children’s backpacks in Pakistan are significantly bulkier compared to those in countries with more developed economies. However, our pupils are lacking in creative thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the ability to work well together.
Students in advanced economies virtually universally hold a part-time job while they are pursuing their college degrees. Why do so few students in Pakistan choose to do so? Why are they unable to make a name for themselves in the academic world?
When people leave school, they are no longer able to keep up with the rapidly advancing technologies and expanding body of knowledge. A significant portion of us do not actively pursue more education and the improvement of our skills through the use of online training and information platforms.
If you turn on any TV channel, you will see that the political commentators are all repeating the same story. There will be very little coverage in the media of the individuals who were awarded the Nobel Prize in various fields this year.
Because they need only give the breaking news of a new statement made by a politician, the mainstream media won’t have any interest in showing the life and journey of such scholars because they only have to report on the most recent statement made by a politician. Assume for a moment that a television channel will soon begin airing such narratives and innovative educational content. Simply said, there won’t be any people watching. mostly due to the fact that people do not require such content.
When we look back at the history of countries that were powerful and prosperous, we see that it was because of the accumulation of information and learning. What steps should Pakistan take to address the deficits in both its budget and its balance of payments? The solution rests in improving the competitiveness of our private sector on a worldwide scale. The question is, how can we make it more competitive? It is only possible to accomplish this through improved learning on the part of business owners, recent graduates, skilled workers, experts working in corporations, and decision-makers.
The lack of sufficient resources does not account for Pakistan’s level of poverty. The reason for our lacklustre performance is that we do not have a healthy desire for acquiring new information through reading and study. This is true across the board, including all of society’s subgroups. The pursuit of knowledge is not a top priority. Instead of focusing our efforts and attention on acquiring a new skill or understanding, we engage in political rumours and ideas of government cover-ups.
