Price tag to education deprives the poor of access to knowledge

By Shafqat Munir

Globalization undermines state's role in all services and welfare sectors including education whereas education for all is essential for knowledge and development. If we give a price tag to education, it deprives millions of the poor of access to knowledge and development.

These views were expressed by speakers at a seminar on "State of Education under Globalization" organized by ActionAid Pakistan at the World Social Forum on March 26, 2006. Sabina Ahmad organized and moderated the session. A book titled "Education under Globalization-The case study of Pakistan" proceeding of a conference was also launched on this occasion. The speakers discussed various aspects relating to Education and Globalization.

Speaking on the occasion, Akbar Zaidi said though we resist globalization but we have to accept that we cannot simply avoid globalization, which is no doubt impeding the human needs rather focusing on commercialization. Education loses its real spirit if it is priced and that too a profitable one. Education is generally linked to employment and not with knowledge. The questions arises as to who is going to decide on curriculum and type of education particularly under globalization. Whether World Bank, IMF or other operators of corporate world are going to decide what education is all about or our democratic forces are going to decide about it.

He said globalization is not the only process that is damaging traditional education system, there are other factors too that are really damaging the education making it irrelevant to the needs of the people. Privatization of education is being promoted and quality is being compromised. Private and public sectors should be brought at par. The government education sector needs to be improved. We only spend 2% on education whereas we spend more on defence. Globalization is proving to be a catalyst to further categorizing education with commercial aspects. Earlier, education had a connection to civilization and cultural and indigenous perspectives but now education is fast becoming market oriented commodity. Now the people go for degrees, which can generate better employment, particularly employment abroad.

Mr Zaidi said we need to create space according to our priorities despite being trapped in globalization. Pakistan, being protector of the interests of the United States and the elites, did not adopt polities that could have helped benefit from the opportunities provided by globalization while India and Malaysia's policies helped benefit from it. He was of the view that unless democratic forces are not given free hand to devise and adopt policies, we cannot expect any pro-poor policy formulation. Only the people of Pakistan jointly can get our policies changed on education. Education system in Pakistan has never been egalitarian and progressive as it has been ignored by rulers under their vested interests. Military governments are largely responsible for damaging education system in Pakistan. It is not Bush, Musharraf and others who can bring about an egalitarian system.

Kaiser Bengali said the way the liberalization is being imposed under IMF agreements, deprivation of the people in terms of education and health is growing. There are largely profit based private schooling or education systems. Some of education institutions set up by philanthropists are different than those based on commercial approach and a price tag. If we hand over all the services to market forces, then it would further plunge the poor into abject poverty. If education is privatized, it would be a dangerous trend as common people and their children cannot think of changing their fate as they cannot get education and achieve any excellence. It is very easy to blame World Bank and other institutions for all of our ills. The education is an old subject. Education is learning. If we look at the syllabus at primary level, we find that it only speaks of making children Muslim, rather making them biased. The poor children are taught ordinary things while the rich children are taught the syllabus which is taught in the United Kingdom. So, there is huge gap between the two. This discriminatory education system gives all rights and privileges to the rich while depriving the poor of even the right to education, to development and to employment. We need to try to develop the state as the peoples state and not of the elites. Education is sold as product. Even in pre liberalization era, we had problems in educations system.

Aftab Alam said unfortunately that our basic decisions are being taken by outside forces at the global level. He said WTO is making such rules where in our water and food needs are being affected badly. There is a general agreement on service (GATS) which impacts all our services including education. GATS is a WTO agreement under which multinational companies or universities can invest in any country even without the control of national governments. Now education is being opened as commodity under WTO regime. Foreign universities can set up their facilities. Privatization of education has already being in process even before the WTO regime. The government would have no role on curriculum and fee structures and the people have to pay whatever the foreign institutions would demand as price of education. We will have no right to decide which kind of education we need. All books are already written by foreigners. With more foreign private sector involvement in our education sector, we would further lose our own choices. The syllabus is not already matching our needs. With liberalization, we would have to further face such problems.

He said the foreign universities and education systems will not provide education to the poor people across Pakistan and the education would reduce to the children of the elite who can pay. All the rich countries even do not bother to the flexibilities provided in education. Under GATS, countries have the right to select certain sectors for liberalization and opening them for foreign investors but this flexibility is not being allowed as the rich are forcing the poor countries to open up even water, food, health and education sectors.

He said almost 90% countries have rejected these pressures but still in WTO regime, the rich are prevailing. Intellectual property rights will also limit access to knowledge due to high price tag on their books and other material. Now we can publish cheaper editions in the country or photocopy but after IPRs implementation, we can not continue with this facility. We need to understand these sensitivities and the government should negotiate in the interests of our people. Students, academia, teachers and other stakeholders should be mobilized to resist the market oriented education system. The government should also take care of this situation while signing agreements internationally. We should fight globalization together. He said we need to focus on two WTO agreements including GATS and IPRs that have serious implications for us in terms of their impacts on education facilities.