“A Study of the Significant Factors Affecting the Academic Achievements of Government Secondary Schools, Karachi” Is About Mainly This Issue

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A STUDY OF THE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS AFFECTING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, KARACHI

A Dissertation

AFTAB AHMED SHAIKH

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) in Education

Under the Supervision of PROF. DR. SYED ABDUL AZIZ PROF. DR. NASIR SULMAN

Presented to:

Hamdard Institute of Education and Social Sciences HAMDARD UNIVERSITY KARACHI, PAKISTAN

June 2015

Dedicated to:

My late parents, teachers, Education System of Sindh And my family

ABSTRACT

Karachi is called a “mini Pakistan” due to its unique socio-political chemistry, diversity of cultures, imbalance and blend of huge population from the both rural and urban areas. During the past few decades, demographic variations have greatly changed the lifestyle of the people economic of Karachi in civic facilities including health and education. Education is one of the important elements of social sectors that influences the society at micro and macro level. Quality of education, particularly in government secondary schools has dropped during the last few decades in Karachi. Present study, titled as, “A Study of the Significant Factors Affecting the Academic Achievements of Government Secondary Schools, Karachi” is about mainly this issue. Hypotheses were developed on important question i.e. Are the existing physical, administrative and academic facilities of the government secondary schools in Karachi sufficient to give the expected results? Hence, the study is meant to identify those scholastic and socioeconomic factors that affect the academic achievement of the contextual schools of Karachi. The study is limited to the Govt. Secondary Schools, located within six administrative districts of Karachi and working under the Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh, Pakistan. Education Officers, Senior School Heads, teachers, students of 573 schools and related were the population for this study based. A sample of 144 out of 573 schools was taken. During the research, three sets of questionnaires were developed for the respondents (students, teachers and parents) after ensuring validity and reliability. Rating sheet was developed to rate each of the schools in the sample against each of the situational factors by the raters (Education Officers/Senior School Heads). Data of the three years’ result of Secondary Schools Examination (held under Board of Secondary Education Karachi) and School Census Data from Sindh Education Management and Information System was transformed into software module for usage. The research was carried out in two phases. First phase of identification of 18 situation pedagogical factors (variables) was completed by scanning of the views of respondents collected through 345 questionnaires (115 by each group of the respondents). Seven of these 18 factors were found to be relating with external (home and environment) while 11 were found relating with school itself. The second phase of rating of schools against each variable during which each rater

i rated each of the 18 variables on the scale from 1-11 (best-worst) and scores thus obtained. Similarly, the grading score of each school was also determined through the three years’ annual examination result (held under Board of Secondary Education Karachi). Finally, with the statistical analysis, the values of correlations between “the mean scores of rating” (against each of 18 variables) and “mean score of grading of result (academic achievement)” were calculated. Result thus found was used for making inferences. According to the findings, the 18 variables i.e. were found to be significantly correlating with the academic achievements thus affecting the performance of schools. Hence, scholastic factors e.g. the teachers terms of service, theirs and school head’s competencies, basic, academic facilities in school, maintenance of school building, its location and financial stability, strict admission, examination policies and resort to tuition while domestic factors e.g. parents’ education and their occupations, household income, students’ residence and parents contact are correlate with the academic achievements. The study stressed need to attend the weak areas highlighted above. The leading recommendations were: 1. Establishing Provincial Think Tank for Education replacing the bureaucratic approach, 2. Decentralization of Powers, 3. Education Group of Services in Provincial and National Civil Services of Pakistan, 4. Pilot Programs for Subsidizing and Privatization of Unsuccessful Schools, 5. Programs for Creating Educational Leadership, 6. Declaring Emergency in Education, 7. Effective Monitoring and Inspection System, 8. Whole Campus Development Program for Selected Schools in each District. 9. Skill Development Trainings for Students and Parents, 10. Parents Awareness and Empowerment of School Management Committees Program. The study also suggested to initiate change in the mindset towards education and educationists, through mass mobilization.

Keywords: Sindh: Karachi: Secondary Schools: Significant Factors: Academic Achievements

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVA L

This is to certify that MR. AFTAB AHMED SHAIKH has completed his research thesis entitled “A Study of the Significant Factors Affecting the Academic Achievements of Government Secondary Schools, Karachi”, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph. D. in Education under our supervision. We have reviewed the content and the methodology and it is according to the prescribed standard as set by the Hamdard Institute of Education and Social Sciences (HIESS), Hamdard University Karachi, Pakistan.

The Thesis is based on his own personal research work carried under our supervision and is not copied from any thesis written earlier on the subject.

______PROF. DR. SYED ABDUL AZIZ PROF. DR. NASIR SULMAN Supervisor Co-Supervisor

Dated: ______Dated: ______

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all I am grateful to our creator, the one who in spite of my weakness, slackness and deficiencies; has considered me worth of getting knowledge and complete this work to serve the humanity.

I am deeply grateful to all the participants, particularly the parents, students, teachers and education officers; who have extended their proactive and extra-ordinary support to me. Without their cooperation and willingness, this study would never be completed.

I thank to my late mother, friend Prof. Irfan Ahmed and my sweet friendly sister Prof. Suboohi Shaikh; who have always guided and provided me reinforcement to achieve higher education for building a sound professional career.

I also pay tribute to my teachers and research supervisors; whose proactive cooperation, matchless guidance and encouragement made it possible to complete this work. They are my source of inspiration who provided what the best teachers could teach in a skilled and friendly way.

I am thankful to the whole of my sweet family of School Education of Karachi for its affection and matchless support. I extend my special gratitude to all my friends, colleagues, senior educationists and professionals particularly Mr. Ahmed Nawaz Niazi, Mr. Abdul Latif Mughal and Syed Muhammad Ali, Statistician; for their professional reinforcement, cooperation and support.

I am thankful to officers and staff of: defunct EDO Office Karachi, Directorate of School Education, Board of Secondary Education Karachi, Reform Support Unit, Education & Literacy Department Sindh and District Education Offices; for sharing valuable data and extending all possible support.

Last but not the least; I would like to pay my hearty thank to my wife and sons for their positive support, especially my wife’s extraordinary contributions in sharing the family responsibilities during research.

AFTAB AHMED SHAIKH

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract i Certificate of Approval iii Acknowledgement iv Table of Contents v List of Abbreviations vi List of Tables ix List of Figures xi

Chapter – I INTRODUCTION 01 1.1 Background of the Study 01 1.2 Statement of the Problem 03 1.3 Significance of the Study 03 1.4 Hypotheses 04 1.5 Definition of the Key Concepts 05 1.6 Limitations of the Study 06 1.7 Procedure 07

Chapter – II THE SITUATION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN 10 PAKISTAN, A REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Government Policy and State of Secondary Education 10 2.2 Secondary Education and Scholastic Factors 20 2.3 Home Environment, Parents, Social Influence and 35 Secondary Education 2.4 Socio-Economic Factors and Secondary Education 37 2.5 Impact of Parents’ Socio-Economic Status on Children’s Achievement 42 2.6 Education in Karachi Region 44 2.7 Conclusion 47

Chapter – III: RESEARCH DESIGN 50 3.1 Population 50 3.2 Sample 50 3.3 Research Instrumentation 50 3.4 Analysis of Data for Correlation 53

Chapter – IV:FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 55 4.1 Internal Pedagogical or Scholastic Factors 55 4.2 External Pedagogical or Socio-economic Factors 99 4.3 Combined Analysis of Internal and External Pedagogical Factors 134 4.4 Hypotheses Testing 159

Chapter – V: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 163 5.1 Summary and Recommendations 163 5.2 Conclusion 176

REFERENCES 178 APPENDICES A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K AND L 188 – 224

v List of Abbreviations

Abbreviations  ADB Asian Development Bank

 AEPAM Academy of Education, Planning and Management (GoP)

 B.A Bachelor of Arts

 B.Com Bachelor of Commerce

 B.Ed Bachelor of Education

 B.Sc. Bachelor of Science

 BSEK Board of Secondary Education Karachi

 CBO Community Based Organization

 CDGK City District Government Karachi

 CPI Consumer Price Index

 CT Certificate in Teaching

 DEO (FS&HS) District Officer Education (Female) Secondary and Higher

Secondary

 DEO (MS&HS) District Officer Education (Male) Secondary and Higher

Secondary

 DFID Department of International Development (UK)

 DoID Department of International Development, Asian Development

Bank

 EDI Education Development Index by UNDP 2014

 E&LD Education and Literacy Department

 EFA Education for All

 GDP Gross Domestic Product

 GMR (EFA) Global Monitoring Report (2005)

vi  GoP Government of Pakistan

 GoS: Government of Sindh

 HSC Higher Secondary Certificate (Grade XI-XII) equivalent to

Cambridge “A” level

 ICG International Crisis Group

 ICT Information and Communication Technology

 LG Local Government

 MDG Millennium Development Goals

 MoE Ministry of Education (GoP)

 MoF Ministry of Finance

 MoF Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan

 NBCT National Bureu of Curriculum and Text Books (MoE-GoP)

 NGO Non-Government Organization

 NRB National Reconstruction Bureau

 OM(s) Office Memorandum(s)

 P&DD Planning and Development Department (GoS)

 PTA Parents’- Teachers’ Association (Now named SMC)

 PTBB Provincial Text Book Boards

 PTC Primary Teaching Certificate

 RSU Reform Support Unit

 SAC School Admission Code (DoE-UK)

 SEMIS Sindh Education Management Information System (E&LD-

GoS)

 SERP Sindh Education Reform Project (I and II) with the

collaboration of World Bank

vii  SLGO Sindh Local Government Ordinance by the Government of

Sindh

 SMC School Management Committee (old name PTA)

 SPI Sensitive Price Index

 SSAPP Second Social Action Plan Project, Govt. of Pakistan

 SSC Secondary School Certificate (Grade IX and X) equivalent to

Cambridge “O” level

 UK United Kingdom

 US-DoE United States Department of Education

 VBO Village Based Organization

 VEC Village Education Committee

 WB The World Bank

 WPI Wholesale Price Index

viii

Table No. List of Tables Page No. Table 1 Grades and Assigned Numeric Values 54 Teachers’ Responses Regarding Characteristics of Table 2 56 Teachers Present Pay Scale & Allowances of the Teachers Table 3 Working in a Typical Government Boy’s Secondary 62 School in Karachi Table 4 Hike in Prices of Various Items (In Rs.) 65 Comparison of Minimum Basic Salary of Government Table 5 65 School Teachers Teachers’ Responses Regarding Reasons For Choosing Table 6 68 Teaching As A Profession Percentage of Government Teachers According to Table 7 70 Their Age & Sex Table 8 Educational Qualification of Teachers 71 (i) Table 8 Professional Qualification of Teachers 71 (ii) Table 8 Leading Cadres of the Teachers 71 (iii) Table 9 Checking Homework in School (Teachers’ 72 (i) Questionnaire) Table 9 Checking Homework in School (Students 72 (ii) Questionnaire) Table 9 Checking Homework in School (Parents Questionnaire) 72 (iii) Table 10 Giving of Tests in Schools 73 Table 11 Inspection in School 74 Students’ Satisfaction with their Teachers’ Table 12 74 Performance Table 13 Devotion of Dedicated Teachers 75 Teachers’ Aptitude of Writing Article/ Research Work/ Table 14 75 Textbook Writing Table 15 Teachers’ Review onto Themselves 76 Table 16 Parents’ Review on Teachers’ 76 Students’ Opinion on their Teachers’ Academic & Table 17 77 Ethical Characteristics Table 18 Students’ Opinion about Teachers’ Teaching 78 Table 19 Teachers’ Individual Attention towards Students 79 Table 20 Students’ Disclosure of their Problem to their Teaching 79 Teachers’ Satisfaction with the Academic Standard of Table 21 80 Students’ Table 22 Facilities Available in Schools 84 Educational Recreational & Co-Curricular Activities in Table 23 86 Schools Table 24 Academic Facilities in Schools 87 Table 25 Teachers’ Care of Students in Addition to Teaching 87

ix Table 26 Trends of Giving Simple Subject Oriented Tests 91 Students’ Own Opinion about Themselves on Cheating Table 27 93 & Malpractices Table 28 Students’ Opinion about Means/ Source of Cheating 95 Table 29 Trends SSC-II Results under BSE Karachi 97 Board of Secondary Education Karachi; Statistics of Table 30 Results of S.S.C Part-II (Class X) Science Annual 97 Examination 2010-11 (Sex Wise & Grade Wise) Comparative Performance of Public & Private Table 31 Students’ During SSC Part II Examination (Annual) 98 2008-09 under Board of Secondary Education Karachi Table 32 Comparison of Educational Qualification B/W Male & 101 (a) Female in Pakistan according to Census 1981 & 1998 Table 32 Educational Qualification of Parents 101 (b) Table 33 Social Status of Parents 103 Table 34 Father’s Source and Amount of Monthly Income (Rs.) 104 Table 35 Presence of Additional Income of the Family 104 Table 36 Part Time Work by Students 104 Table 37 Children Help to their Father 104 Table 38 Number of Members in Each Family 105 Table 39 Type of Accommodation of Students (House) 108 Table 40 Area of House and Family Members 109 Table 41 Basic Facilities at Home 110 Children Who Seek Parents/ Family Help in Solving Table 42 110 Homework Table 43 Presence of Play Ground Near Students’ Residence 111 Table 44 Time Spent on Playing 111 Table 45 Availability of TV, Internet etc. Facilities 112 Enquiry of Elders From the Teachers about the Welfare Table 46 114 of their School Going Children Table 47 Means of Transport Used by the Students 115 Table 48 Private Tuitions for Children 116 Table 49 Parents’ Attention towards their Children Studies 116 Table 50 Parents’ Reminder to Children for Studies 116 Table 51 Parents Who Coach their Children Themselves 116 A Comparison Between 20 Schools of Affluent or Table 52 118 Better Versus Poor Social Class Names of School where Students from Affluent or Table 53 119 Better Social Class Study Names of School where Students From Lesser or Poor Table 54 119 Social Class Study Statistical Analysis of Academic Performances in Table 55 Relation to Relevant Internal and External Pedagogical 138 Factors

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: A Graphical Comparison between 20 Schools of 118 Affluent versus Poorer Social Class

CHAPTER – I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

“Education”, is commonly defined as delivery of knowledge, skills and information from teachers to students. “After all, what is education, but a process by which a person begins to learn how to learn?” (Ustinov, 2011). Education, in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another. Studies have shown that the child is educated by the experiences it is exposed to, in the womb even before it is born.

According to World Bank, “Education is a fundamental building block of human development and is one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty, improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability”. (Zoellic 2010) It enables individuals to make informed choices, broaden their horizons and opportunities and to have a voice in public decision making. It is one of the most important factors that action as a counterweight to social and economic mobility imposed by cultural and historical biases.

Mass education in Pakistan is primarily based on the school education system established by British during colonial rule. It consists of primary education, secondary and tertiary/higher education. In this system, the school is the prime institution, which provides well defined, definite and controllable learning environment where students are taught predesigned, pre-programmed, approved and standardized contents

(Curriculum) by the teachers. School education in developed and developing

1 countries alike, is the most pervasive social process for developing knowledge and skills, shaping attitudes, inculcating values, creating an ability to understand, analyse, appreciate and decide in those individuals who are shaping and lead society of tomorrow. The leading objective of the education process is to mold an individual to become a responsible citizen leading to the formation of a healthy society.

In this formal education system, Secondary Schooling occupies a central place. It accepts a child at an early age of 11 years and engages him until age of 15-16 years.

These are the years, when the child undergoes many psychological and physiological changes. It is the time when the child becomes conscious of himself as an individual and prepares to participate in decisions about his future. Positive schooling at this stage enhances the learning process and promotes academic achievement, whereas deficiencies in the education process severely affects the ability of a child to learn properly, resulting in under achievement, loss of opportunity for further education, self-confidence and loss of that individual (Crocker, 2004), Knight and Becker (2000) quoted by Page (2010). These school dropouts, provide a rich recruitment resource for antisocial groups, criminals and terrorists. Thus at this level, it is essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive and contributing members of the world community.

In its preparatory role, the secondary education is vitally important for a country’s present and future socioeconomic development. It is these very individuals, who after completion of secondary education enroll in higher education or embark upon a professional career. Apart from laborers, it is these secondary school graduates who later become scientists, engineers, doctors, politicians, managers and managing directors on one hand and clerks, supervisors, storekeepers, salesmen, data entry

2 operators, designers, etc. Hence, effective, positive secondary education is essential to build a congenial, cooperative, progressive, moderate and judicious society.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Secondary education is a multifaceted process that has to be studied from various angles within an integrated approach. It cannot be observed and studied in isolation or separated from various sociological, financial, familial and political aspects that influence its quantitative and qualitative aspects. The contextual research is directed towards an exploration of different significant factors that influence a particular educational environment. These pedagogical factors may be categorized into internal and external or scholastic and socioeconomic factors.

In the proposed research, the specific attention of the investigator is towards the study of those significant pedagogical factors, which affect the academic achievements of the students of Government Secondary Schools of Karachi

The study of the interaction of scholastic (internal) and socioeconomic (external) factors may give an interpretable picture of the secondary school’s strengths and weaknesses. Besides the study of the constituent elements of the scholastic and socioeconomic variables, the objective of the research was the determination of possible correlations between these factors with the academic achievements of the secondary school students. For the study, feasible contextual research instruments and methodology have been used with the support and guidance of the research supervisors.

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Two hurdles in the progress of Pakistan; are low literary rate (58%) and lack of quality education especially in public owned secondary schools. These schools enroll nearly half (69%) of the children in the country and mostly belong to middle and

3 lower middle class populace of the country. The quality of education imparted by these public sector schools is significantly low. In Sindh, the situation is going from bad to the worst as compared to that of private schools (Siddiqui 2009). Private schools no doubt are performing better than public schools (Ravish Amjad 2012) but they are not much easily accessible to very low-income households due to various reasons.

Karachi is not only the biggest city of Pakistan, but is the provincial headquarters of

Sindh province (2nd largest province of Pakistan) as well. It is a very important city due to the ethnic diversities and is called mini Pakistan. The quality of School

Education in Government Secondary Schools of Karachi has declined quite rapidly in the past two decades that is apparently observed through low annual enrolment and academic results (Asim, Salman 2013). Thus the results of this study on a select group of schools in Karachi are representing a general scenario elsewhere in in the province.

1.4 HYPOTHESES

The general and broad assumption on which this present investigation is based is,

“The pedagogical factors in which the formal learning process is operative; significantly influence the quality of academic achievement”. The main hypothesis was formulated:

“The level of positive or negative correlation between pedagogical factors and

the process of education, significantly impacts upon the standard of education

at government secondary schools of Karachi.”

In addition to the above main hypothesis, following three sub hypotheses were also formulated:

1.4.1 Internal Pedagogical Factors (Scholastic Factors)

4 a. Reasonable terms and service conditions for the teachers and their competency

have a positive correlation on the quality of education in secondary school of

Karachi.

b. Non-availability or lack of basic academic facilities has negative correlation

with academic achievement.

1.4.2 External Pedagogical Factors (Socioeconomic Factors)

c. Parents’ educational qualifications, financial stability and personal

involvement in the children’s educational progress; have noteworthy stimulus

on the academic accomplishment of their children.

1.5 DEFINITIONS OF THE KEY CONCEPTS

i. Academic (Measurable) Achievement/Result: Three years’ (2009-11) result of

the Annual Examination (Science Group) students, conducted by external

source i.e. BSE Karachi.

ii. City District Government Karachi (CDGK): System of governance introduced

through Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001 replaced the old

district administration system under which the then all five districts (the then)

were merged. CDGK was headed by City Nazim an elected representative

assisted by District Coordination Officer (DCO). iii. The Devolution of Power Plan: A plan implemented though SLGO 2001 under

which local government system (District and City District Governments) was

formed. iv. Government Secondary Schools: The secondary schools (from class or grade

VI to X) run by the provincial government of Sindh through Education and

Literacy Department (E&LD)

5 v. Pedagogical factors: All direct and indirect factors related to the art of

teaching, school and community.

vi. Scholastic factors: School related factors, e.g. teachers, facilities, curriculum

etc. also termed as “Internal Pedagogical Factors” in the study.

vii. Socioeconomic factors: Out of school, i.e. community or society related

factors, e.g. socioeconomic conditions of parents, educational qualification,

facilities at home, parents’ involvement with their children upbringing etc.

Also described as external pedagogical factors in the study. viii. Qualitative analysis: It means the analysis that uses subjective judgment

based on non-quantifiable information.

ix. Quantitative analysis: It means the analysis that uses subjective judgment

based on quantifiable information.

x. Academic Environment: It means the learning related environment like

atmosphere, physical environment, i.e. academic and recreational facilities and

social climate i.e. interaction among stakeholders in the school context.

xi. Learning Standards/Standard of education: Elements of declarative,

procedural, schematic, and strategic knowledge that, as a body, define the

specific content of an educational program. In the study, term leads to the

academic achievement of students reflected through the results of internal and

external examinations (Board Exam.).

xii. Secondary schools: Leads to the schools from class/grade VI to X, (between

ages of 10-11 and 15-16 years) but the data has been obtained from the class X

students (between ages of 14-16 years), parents and the teachers.

6 1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This research is a case study limited to the Government Secondary Schools of

Karachi, working under the jurisdiction of Education and Literacy Department. The study in the context of Karachi can form a micro model and findings are applicable to the larger scales of the Province of Sindh and Pakistan.

At the time the study started and most of the part completed, Karachi was considered as one whole City District with 18 towns however recently divided into 6 (six) administrative districts but actual education related implementation is yet to be made.

In spite of the said division, Karachi is identical for its culture, issues and problems as a whole.

Since an overwhelming majority of regular students of class IX-X belong to “Science

Group” while “humanities” and “commerce” groups’ student are in negligible number, thus the result based statistics are applicable to all Government Secondary

Schools of Karachi.

1.7. PROCEDURE

Survey method was used to collect data from the respondents

1.7.1. Population

Population of the study was comprised of school heads, senior teachers, prefects/ students and their parents/guardians and education officers of school administration cadre of all 573 Government Secondary Schools of Karachi

1.7.2. Sample

A sample of 144 schools (Appendix-A) out of total 573 schools (every fourth) in successive order, was used during:

i. Identification of situational pedagogical (Scholastic and Socioeconomic

Factors) by the respondents (Teachers, Students and their Parents)

7 ii. Analysis and determination of correlation between the mean of the “rating

score” against each of the identified factors with the mean score of the result

grading of each school.

1.7.3 Instrumentation

Three sets of questionnaires were prepared, each for Senior Teachers, Students and their Parents, for scanning of their view and identify leading situation factors.

i. Validity and reliability of the questionnaires were ensured through a panel of

educational experts, piloting of questionnaires and through computer software.

ii. Rating Sheet to rate each of the sample schools against each of the situational

factors iii. Data of the academic achievement/result by the Board of Secondary School

Education Karachi (BSEK) converted to database application (Screenshot at

Appendix J, K) iv. Sindh Education Management Information System (SEMIS) related

educational statistics/database about schools of Karachi, received from Refom

Support Unit-Education and Literacy Department –Government of Sindh.

(Screen Shot Appendix L)

1.7.4. Interpretation, Data analysis

i. On the basis of 345 selected responses from the respondents (115 from each

Senior Teachers, Students and their Parents) _ received through separate

questionnaires; 18 pedagogical factors were identified.

ii. 25 raters were asked to rate each of the sample schools with each of the

determined situational factors on the scale from 1-11 (best-worst) and scores

thus obtained

8 iii. On the basis of Board’s annual examination result of class X (Science Group)

of last three years (2009-2011); grading score of each sample schools was

determined. iv. With statistical analysis, the values of correlation between, “mean (average)

scores of rating (against each of 18 situational factors)” and “mean scores of

grading of result” were calculated through Pearson’s Correlation Formula by

using MS-Excel.

v. Inferences were made on the basis of the results thus obtained vi. Details of the research design and methodology are in Chapter III.

CHAPTER – II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE:

Relevant literature has been examined, especially covering the following headings:

2.1 Government Policies and Secondary Education

2.2 Secondary Education and Scholastic Factors

2.3 Home Environment, Parents, Social Influence and Secondary

Education

2.4 Socio-Economic Factors and Secondary Education

2.5 Impact of Parents’ Socioeconomic Status on Children’s Achievement

2.6 Education in Karachi Region

2.1 GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND STATE OF SECONDARY

EDUCATION

Pakistan’s efforts for mass, but qualitative standard in education have always been taken as the firm and articulated commitments which are encapsulated in polished policy documents but with no proper action at all; due to which any significant improvement could hardly be seen yet.

Government of Pakistan realized the importance of mass education as early as 1947.

Since then Pakistan kept addressing the issue periodically, in 1947, 1951, 1959, 1966,

1969, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1992, 1998, 2009 and 2011. All these policies and statements of vision stressed the need for equitable and affordable quality education for all. But due to lack of ownership of any of these policies by stakeholders and unrealistically designed policy goals; these efforts have so far failed to produce desired results. What we observe is a decline in standards of education inherited from British and emergence of different education systems of different social classes. Today in

10 Pakistan, unlike contemporaries, there are, at present, three parallel systems of education.

 Conventional English / Urdu or Sindhi (Provincial language) Medium school

education System

 Madarsah (Religious Islamic School) Education System

 Cambridge/Oxford education system

The government has admitted (National Education Policy 2009) that these three parallel systems of education in Pakistan have resulted in a number of socioeconomic problems. The Cambridge / Oxford system provides quality education, but due to its high cost and small base is only available to a small percentage of aspiring students.

Conventional English/Urdu medium system which, once provided quality education to the masses at low/no cost, has suffered many setbacks during the last four decades.

Main reasons for this gradual decline are mismanagement, politicization, and inadequate teacher remunerations. Madarsah education system is established on certain beliefs which differ from school to school. Despite many efforts, these

Madaris (Religious Islamic Schools) have a rigid and outdated curriculum. Instead of creating national level cohesion, these different schools of thought have resulted in discord and strife in the society. No wonder educational system in Pakistan is accused of strengthening the existing inequitable social structure as very few people from the public sector educational institutions could move up the ladder of social mobility. If immediate attention is not paid to reduce the social exclusion and increase upward mobility of less privilege class, the country can face unprecedented social upheavals.

Many analyses reveal that Pakistan has made progress on a number of education indicators in recent years (G.R Memon 2007). Notwithstanding the progress, education in Pakistan suffers from two key deficiencies: at all levels of education,

11 access to educational opportunities remains low and the quality of education is weak, not only in relation to Pakistan’s goals themselves but also in international comparisons with the reference countries.

On the Education Development Index (EDI UNDP 2014), which combines all educational access measures, Pakistan lies at the bottom with Bangladesh and is considerably below in comparison to Sri Lanka. A similar picture is painted by the gross enrolment ratios that combine all education sectors and by the adult literacy rate measures. The overall Human Development Index (HDI) for Pakistan stands at 0.53, which is marginally better than in Bangladesh and Nepal but poorer than other countries in the region. The UNDP 2014 on the HDI report also shows that while

Pakistan’s HDI has improved over the years, but the rate of progress in other countries has been higher. Bangladesh, starting at a lower base has caught up, while other countries have further improved upon their relative advantage. These developments do not augur well for Pakistan’s competitive position in the international economy. As the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) shows, Pakistan’s performance is weak, on the health and education related elements of competitiveness, when compared to its major competitors like India, China,

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia (National Education Policy 2009)

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2009 (“the Policy”) comes in a series of education policies dating back to the very inception of the country in 1947.The salient features of the present educational policy are:

 Education and training should enable the citizens of Pakistan to lead their lives

according to the teachings of Islam as laid down in the Qur'an and Sunnah and

to educate and train them as a true practicing Muslim.

12  To evolve an integrated system of national education by bringing Deeni

Madaris (Religious Schools) and modern schools closer to each stream in

curriculum and the contents of education. Nazira Qur'an (Verbal Reading of

Quran) to be introduced as a compulsory component from grade I-VIII while

at the secondary level translation of the selected verses from the Holy Qur'an

must be offered.

 The purpose of preparing young people for life i.e. imparting skills for labor

market and preparing for tertiary education are not met. A big number is

neither having employable skills nor taking part in higher education. Policy

actions proposed to address the two major shortfalls.

This policy is continuously undergoing review, in the light of post 9/11 scenario, changing geopolitical environment and transfer of this function to provinces, under the 18th amendment in the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

It has been resolved in the said policy that at secondary level a definite vocation / career building program is to be introduced. Access to secondary school education is to be ensured to all boys and girls desirous of admission in secondary schools.

Curriculum for secondary and higher secondary is to be revised with the introduction of multiple textbook, giving schools choice of selecting a textbook, befitting individual school needs. The participation rate is to be increased gradually to achieve

MDG targets, i.e. eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal education, promote gender equality and reduce child mortality (DFID 2007). “Decentralization and diversification of general education, modernization of Curricula at all levels combined with quality assurance monitoring”, are the salient key features of the policy. Yet there are serious flaws in the policy implementation level.

13 Basic requirements for improving the quality of education are: development of proper infrastructure facilities, improving quality of teaching, well designed curricula, provision of teaching-learning materials and the establishment of transparent, comprehensive educational performance assessment system (Performance assessment system should cover assessment of students, teachers, school management and school environment). This requires strengthening and up-gradation of Teacher Training institutions, setting-up Academic Audit Infrastructure, development of a culture of competition, among schools, rewarding the best performers and chastising the underperformers and introducing teachers and students alike to Information and

Communication Technology.

Pursuant to the policy (National Education Policy: 2009), the government is positively committed to bring about the change with following action items:

i. Free education up to matriculation

ii. Provide free textbooks

iii. Grant of scholarships and incentives for girl students

iv. Recruitment of female teachers

v. Availability and accessibility of schools, particularly in rural areas

vi. Teacher’s status

vii. Promote tripartite partnership

viii. Improvement in learning environment

ix. Technical/vocational education, instructional methods

x. Teachers’ training and knowledge

xi. New dynamic approach towards teaching of English language

Despite these actions the real progress of education in Sindh, particularly in Karachi is dismally poor. The main causes for this as already outlined above are widespread

14 corruption, overall mismanagement and lack of ownership by stakeholders. It is a situation where the rich go to private schools offering high quality education and poor or middle are forced to go to public schools offering pitiable quality education. The result is an increase in the social divide leading to widespread poverty, crime and economic downturn. Various leading challenges posted to the educational system are briefly discussed below:

2.1.1 Low Literacy Ratio

Pakistan, in spite of efforts claimed by the government in the last five decades has failed to increase its literacy rate to a pleasing level and hardly reach to the level of over 58 percent with 69 percent male and 45 percent female that is reported to be

113th among the list of 120 countries (Arsalan 2014), which is even lower than a few under developing nations of the region and unfortunately it is at the bottom of the table.

2.1.2 Drop Out

Due to the unstable political system, confused administration, corruption, lack of planning, poverty, poor motivation, shortage of trained and qualified teachers, shelter less schools, poor teacher-attendance, unattractive school environment, disintegrated chain of command, ad-hocism, inadequate leadership and other reasons, the drop out problems is one of the serious problems in Karachi. Approximately 38.8 percent of enrolled children drop out before completing primary education of 19.5 million children currently attending primary school; only 3.9 million reach the middle level

(class VI). (AEPAM PES 2013-14) Owing to the dropouts like challenges it was reported that almost 5.5 million children are out of school, i.e. the second highest number in the world only after Nigeria moreover Pakistan also has the highest

15 number of illiterate adults in the world, after India and China (Daily The Express

Tribune February 2014) Referring UNICEF’s EFA Review Report 2015)

2.1.3 Quality of Education

Quality education is not a simple term but it may be broader and varies with the context to context. In Tomorrow's Schools (1995) briefly, it has been connected with meaningfulness, worthwhileness, responsiveness to individuals and social needs and success of each student. According to EFA-GMR-2005, the Quality Imperative (EFA:

GMR 2005) were described as learner’s cognitive development and emphasis on education's role in promoting values and attitudes of responsible citizenship and in nurturing creative and emotional development. Precisely, the process of education and learning enables an individual to be positive, positively to transform the world a positive place to live.

According to the Holy Quran, “Those who know cannot be like the ones who do not know. Of course, knowledge and ignorance are like light and darkness which can never be alike.”

Education is the most important component, which plays a key role in human development. It promotes a productive and informed citizenry and creates opportunities for collective development.

The education system even after 67 years of independence lacks consistency and even proper delivery. The education facts in Pakistan have been constantly poor, i.e. critical illiteracy rate, the low participation rate, critical low survival rate with poor control and authority resulting questionable quality of learning and instruction. Furthermore, the quality of education has been challenged by many factors, including inadequate infrastructure, facilities, lack competent and motivated teachers, under investment,

16 poor control on demand and supply of services and governance related issues (Kazmi

2009).

Quality of education in government secondary schools of Sindh in general and

Karachi in particular has drastically declined since 1980. During the last 15 years, not a single student from any of Government Schools in Karachi could hardly achieve the top ten positions in Annual Examination of Secondary School Certificate (Class-X) in science group from the Karachi Secondary Board (Daily Jang Karachi 2013) while for the last 19 years no government succeeded to bag top position (Ahmed 2014). It is high time to take necessary steps to arrest the situation and restore the standard of secondary education in Karachi.

Government’s interest and investments are the only possible ways to upgrade or at least to maintain the standard of education (Hussain, 2008). The government can do this by providing suitable buildings; trained, qualified, enthusiastic and energetic teachers; laboratories with sufficient and adequate apparatus and supplies; playgrounds with sufficient sports goods and promotion of social and cultural activities. The presence of the library or digital library with updated resources is must.

All this requires proper allocation and utilization of funds, with inbuilt checks and balances to ensure transparency, lucidity and proper utilization through an able management having visionary leadership skills. Chronic problems are too deep to uproot, without even-handed, honest and strong intervention by provincial government. The government of Sindh’s approaches, efforts and investments are at the mercy of the management dealing with the education system in the province that is why in spite of huge funding and spending the system could not yet be improved to a satisfactory level.

17 Although the government has significantly increased the expenditure on education in the last ten years, the emphasis is still on construction of facilities and recruitment of teachers without an effort to improve quality of education (Habib 2008). The vast majority of children who do attend school are not able to read and comprehend material other than what they memorize from textbooks. Nor they are hardly able to perform simple computational skills in mathematics. So for many children who do make it to school, the education they receive is extremely inadequate and an inefficient use of public resources. Dissatisfaction with government schools is reflected by the low attendance rate, i.e. 20 to 30 percent of schools are either empty or have very few students. (Habib 2008)

According to Habib (2008), the consensus of a number of studies on schooling in

Pakistan is that low enrolment and low retention rates are a reflection of poor supply in terms of low quality of education offered. Parents do not consider it worthwhile to send their children to school if they are not learning anything. Children's time is considered better used in chores at home or assisting parents in income earning activities (Habib2008).

Financing of Education in the public sector Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP is lower in Pakistan as compared to other countries of the South

Asian region. Averagely Pakistan spent around 2% (2.7 percent in 2009) of its GDP on education (AEPAM 2010) as compared to India, which spends 4.1 percent;

Bangladesh 2.4 percent and Nepal spend 3.4 percent. Since no significant increase in public expenditure as a percentage of GDP has been observed during the last couple of decades showing that mere verbal emphasis and commitment was laid on the development of education but much has to be done in the sector. Pakistan previously neglected investment in human capital and thus fosters a persistently high population

18 (growth rate 1.90%), (MoF-GoP 2009-10) deceleration of growth and overruling poverty. In education, the problems are low level of enrolments not only at the primary, but also at the middle, secondary, and higher education levels along with poor quality of public education. Pakistan still has to go a long way to reach these targets and until and unless education is given the due priority that it deserves in the policy framework and allocation of financial resources this sector showed a weak performance in the coming years (MoF-GoP).

Improving the quality of education services is inseparably linked with participation of the core stakeholders, as the investment in in education has no focus on the needs of the community and ownership. There is a need to mobilize the communities to assessing their needs, establishing priorities, implementing and monitoring education initiatives. Hence, to improve the quality the core team member i.e. federal, provincial and local governments, teachers, children, private sector, Non-Government

Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Village Based

Organizations (VBOs) and donors need to be properly integrated to review and design the current education system according to the needs of the society

2.1.4 Unsteady Decisions and School Education

The education policies have always been made to serve the ideals of the rulers. Thus nationalization of all private schools and colleges was carried out with the coming into power of Z. A. Bhutto. This augured well for private school teachers as they were absorbed in government service, with good pay-scale, security of service, etc. It however adversely affected the standard of education. The main causes were absence of an effective monitoring system, a coherent education policy, politicizing of schools and later corruption. It also financially burdened the successive governments. In this mayhem ultimate goal of education for all was lost. Mass education targets could not

19 be achieved. Universal primary education for boys and girls is nowhere in sight. The net result is gradual slippage of the country to become one of ten bottom countries in

EDI ranking even as shown in the chart below:

General Zia reversed the nationalization policy, and desired to Islamize the entire education system and brought the entire system under state control closing all paths to liberal, secular and scientific education. During the same regime, the Afghan crisis sets the new priorities for the country’s leadership struggling for survival. During its decade long rule socio-political chemistry of the city of Karachi was changed, resulting in political defragmentation and emergence of pressure groups. This further deteriorated the standard of education, especially in government schools of Karachi.

After the regimes of weak political leaderships during President Musharraf’s government, the education system was devolved to the districts. More funds were allocated to the education sector, the curriculum was redesigned. Private public partnership was encouraged and skill development, education program was revitalized. However, most of these initiatives could not revitalize the system due to lack of proper leadership, management and administration. Moreover, after the

President Musharaf’s regime, devolution plan was rolled back and school education was again centralized under Education and Literacy Department, Government of

Sindh.

The overview of the educational scenario of the past 67 years depicts a gloomy picture that appears to be going nowhere. The situation in Sindh, particularly in

20 Karachi is worse mainly due to the contextual diversity of cultures and irresponsible attitude of the government.

2.2 SECONDARY EDUCATION AND SCHOLASTIC FACTORS

2.2.1 Secondary Education

The right to education was included in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan that was adopted through a transparent political process. In Article 37-(2) a-b, the state took upon itself the responsibility to eradicate illiteracy and to provide free and compulsory secondary education as soon as possible. But this resolve has mainly remained as a policy statement only. No or a few practical steps have been taken to fully achieve these objectives. According (ICG 2008), “The present education scenario in Pakistan has major incompatibilities. There are on one hand dynamic, fast moving educational institutions charging exorbitant fees mostly serving the rich, while the masses have no choice but to study in government schools which are almost free and or go to entirely free of cost religious seminaries (Madaris). The students in each category of these institutions practically live in different worlds. Bhatti et al. (2008) found that, “the status of secondary is generally poor. It has come to be realized that science education in particular has reached to a critically low stage and quality of education in almost all government schools is very poor. They have ill equipped laboratories, shortage of teachers and outdated curricula”. This immense disparity between education, quality of schools for rich and poor is widening the social divide across the country and creating strife and insecurity on one hand and inefficiency and poor productivity on the other. The result is widespread poverty, corruption and crime. The government secondary education system needs to be upgraded, improved and expanded to make students from less privileged classes competitive with pupils qualifying from privileged class institutions.

21 2.2.1.2 Scholastic factors

These can be served as key indicators in the assessment of performance of any private or public education system. The secondary level education is stepping stone from primary education to tertiary education. A pupil, who performs well during the secondary stage of education, gets the opportunity for going to tertiary education essential for earning respectable lively hood. The students who qualify from primary education are the main input to secondary school system. The standard of these entrants is one of the key factors affecting the overall achievement in secondary schools.

There has been rich research over the quality of education and the related factors

(Riddel 2008) for the decades which concludes that “No general theory as to what determines the quality of education has been validated by empirical research”

(Benavot 2008). Factors for learning achievement were identified by Lockheed and

Verspoor (2009) and Fuller and Clark (1994) as: Curriculum, Learning Material,

Time, Infrastructure, Teacher and School, Students and Parents. Out of which the scholastic factors revolve around teachers, schools and curricula with related indirect factors. The studies in context, describe the factors ensuring the quality of education in successful schools as: the presence of strong leadership, orderly academic environment, focused, devoted and competent and skilled teachers, satisfactory academic resources, including curriculum and syllabus and teaching aids use of the art of Instruction and last but not the least as Policy Making which includes Leading role of government and Policy continuity (retail 2008).

The output from secondary schools is determined by the quality of these institutions and apart from the standard of entrants, it also depends on factors such as student- teacher ratios, per capita school expenditures, quality of learning environment,

22 curriculum and scholastic abilities of the teachers. These factors may be categorized in to the following:

2.2.1.2.1 Teacher and Student related factors

2.2.1.2.2 School facilities related factors

2.2.1.2.3. Curriculum and content related factors

2.2.1.2.1 Teacher and Students related factors

Teacher and student related factors could be discussed in the following aspects:

i. Teachers as Professionals

Though professionally in Pakistan, the teachers are supposed to get a degree, diploma or certificate, etc. related to teaching (B.Ed., C.T. PTC, etc.) but usually the qualities, that an employer look for in a teacher candidate, in the modern world is, they would be: Positive, Communicative, Dependable, Personable, Organized, Committed,

Motivational, Compassionate, Flexible, Individually Perceptive, Value Based,

Knowledgeable, Creative, Patient and having Sense of Humor but it would be rather hard to find a teacher with such complete and maximum potential. In a healthy educational environment most of the teachers meet most of the mentioned characteristics.

In Pakistan, teaching profession is not an attractive career for aspiring entrants.

Schoolteachers a higher majority of them consist of those individuals who, after failing to find a more lucrative job, select this profession as last available resort to earn a living. Rightly concluded by Quddus (2009), “Most of the teachers are in the profession because they cannot be employed elsewhere. They are, not interested in promoting an atmosphere of learning in their institution and provide no inspiration to students to study as an end itself.” He correctly states that an educated person enters the teaching profession after refusal from all other quarters. They apply everywhere,

23 so as to avoid joining this profession, but after disappointment they perforce accept this fate. As such, they can hardly be expected to possess merit or work for the cause of education.

Irregular working in the department of education has complicated the problem.

Recruitment of teachers purely on political basis and not on merit had produced a disastrous situation in Sindh. There are hosts of incompetent graduates produced each year from various institutions roaming around in search of jobs who in spite of having a professional degree of B. Ed.; cannot justify with the required teaching skills. Some lucky ones who are employed are unable to perform resulting in commotion, chaos and confusion leading to total anarchy. To arrest this situation and restore the order it is necessary to focus on the secondary teacher itself. Improving the scholastic ability and social status of secondary school teacher is a key ingredient to bring about a change and meet the Millennium Development Goals goals as well as eradicate poverty.

ii. Relation of Teacher and Student

According to Kyriacou (2008), satisfaction of students with their school teacher is based on the following factors:

1. Sex, age, experience, social class, social skills, training and personality.

2. Pupils’ characteristics, e.g. age, ability, values, personality, propensity and

social class.

3. Class characteristics, e.g. size, range of ability, social class mix.

4. Social characteristics, e.g. size, buildings, facilities, ethos, disciplinary policy,

the proportion of high ability intake.

5. Community characteristics, e.g. affluence, population, density, geographical

condition.

24 Kyriacou further adds that in recent years much use has been made by pupils as teacher evaluators in a number of ways. Some of his studies have simply used questionnaires to survey pupils’ opinions regarding aspects of classroom teaching in general, while other use a questionnaire or interview to obtain the pupils' opinions regarding a particular lesson or set of lessons. He noted that the use of pupil assessment of a lesson often provides teachers with valuable information and insight into their own teaching. There must be a system whereby teachers receive a feedback regarding their own performance.

Unfortunately, the contextual research and studies towards the Educational context are lesser and even the results and recommendation of meager research reports are not entertained to make improvements.

iii. Teachers’ Attitude

Teachers’ attitudes are also directly related to the school facility. Several studies have been conducted in the area of open-space classrooms and their effect on teacher attitudes. Lewis (2007) examined the influence of open-space classrooms and closed- space classrooms on the attitudes of teachers toward the school building. It was found that teachers housed in open-space classrooms showed more positive attitudes.

Likewise, Jones (2008) concluded that teachers' attitudes toward their students in open-space classrooms improved significantly. Mills (2009) agreed with the Jones' findings when he concluded that teachers in open-space areas exhibited behaviors that allow greater pupil freedom and self-direction. These teachers displayed behaviors, which were more permissive, supportive, warm and sympathetic toward the students.

As one can see, not only does the physical environment of a school affect children, teachers are also affected by the design of a school building. So, school architects, educators and facility planners must take into consideration the impact that the

25 designs of school buildings have on student and teacher attitudes Non-independent even independent students need the teacher to provide them with “social backup” and emotional support (Marentič Požarnik, 2007)

According to Andreja Lavrič (2010) teachers concluded that in the education and schooling process the responsibility for the teaching and learning success rests equally divided on the shoulders of teacher more than the students that they should learn and do more about educating special children need themselves, which can be attained through motivation, devotion, sacrifice, improving knowledge and skills and becoming more competent in the working context.

iv. Students’ Attitude

Children who are bored with school tend to become mischievous and troublesome having little or no interest in learning or schooling or co-curricular activities. They are not ignorant of school rules, but they willfully break them in retaliation for lack of peer acceptance and unfavorable teacher attitudes towards them or because of deeper psychological problems. Students, thus, should also receive emotional support

(Hartlage and Schlage: 2007), (Jones2008) and (Stott: 2009).

Student attitudes are shaped to some extent by the structures (facilities) through which they are mediated (Ferreira, 2009). School buildings and surroundings create a first impression in the minds of aspiring students of the environment in which they have to study and learn while stepping from childhood to adolescence. Building conditions directly affect the attitudes of students, teachers and parents, which in turn affect the student’s receptiveness to learning.” Proshansky (2009) referred to physical settings and attitudes as follows:

“Physical settings-simple or complex-evoke complex human responses in the form of feelings, attitudes, values, expectancies, and desires, and it is in this sense as well as

26 their known physical properties that their relationships to human experience and behavior must be understood” (p. 28).

A study completed by Lovin (2009) in Middle Georgia explored the attitudes of elementary school children, who had moved from a traditional school to an open- space school. The study illustrated that the children were keenly aware of their school building and responded positively to the bright and comfortable surroundings. In fact, these children's attitudes were directly related to their physical surroundings. Chan

(2007) compared student attitudes toward the physical environment of a school newly opened and that of two older schools by few decades: The main finding of this study indicated that pupils housed in a modern school building were having significantly more positive attitudes toward school than pupils housed in a much older building.

Likewise, Cramer (2008) studied selected Junior High Schools in the Bibb County

School District of Georgia. He contended that pupils housed in newly renovated school facilities showed attitudes that are more positive.

v. Student-Teacher Affinity

“Relationships with teachers may have an impact on students’ learning and academic achievements. Children with better social skills may be more adept at interacting in positive ways with teachers and peers, and teachers may interpret positive interactions as reflecting not only social competence but also intellectual competence. Children who are motivated to seek approval from their teachers employ achievement-related behaviors to get better grades. Supportive relationship with teachers augments students’ motivation to learn and actively participate in subject domains that traditionally hold little interest for them. Increased participation may result in changes in attitude regarding the subject domain as students experience increased efficacy, interest, and perceive utility.” Rutter (2008) indicated that student teacher rapport

27 produces positive results while Quddus (2009) expresses the view that teachers are truly the pivot of any educational system; and educational standards are directly linked with the quality of teachers. This important facet of the educational process is often neglected in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh. Due to the recruitment of teachers recruited on a political basis without any consideration to merit has compounded the situation. Unless this practice is discontinued, there is little hope that the situation can ever improve. In addition to above, there is no effective system for continuous improvement of scholastic and professional skills of teachers, discouraging attitude of society to those who select teaching as profession combined with low income are the major reasons for the dearth of teachers having positive and healthy interaction with students.

2.2.1.2.2. School facilities related factors

The schools and related facilities can be discussed in the following aspects:

i. Educational Environment and its Impact on Students and Teachers

Good quality education encompasses not only cognitive development of students, but also focuses on their creative and emotional development. The goal is to shape attitudes and inculcate values along with professional capabilities to prepare them for effective life in the community. The school environment is the prime factor to condition student attitudes.

ii. Student Counselling

School counselling programs promote lessening of conflicts, nurture growth of student community and are essential for maintenance of discipline in schools all- important factors for creating a healthy learning environment. Baker and Gerler

(2008) reported that students who participated in a school counselling program had significantly less inappropriate behaviors and attitudes that are more positive toward

28 school than those students who did not participate in the program. Another study reported that group counselling provided by school counselors; significantly decreased participants' aggressive and hostile behaviors.

Unfortunately school counsellor is absent in nearly all government schools of Sindh in general and in government schools of Karachi in particular. Reviews of the research on school counselling show that the services of school counselors have a positive effect on children (Mosconi 2008). A teacher with the associated role of counselors can add positive and stimulating factor for increased student interest in school curriculum and other activities leading to improved academic achievement.

Hussain (2008) says that a considerable number of students lose heart due to lack of counselling and proper guidance. It means that the counselling and guidance are extremely necessary for better adjustment of the child. Jones (2008) adds that to know about any person, we have to watch how he discharges his responsibilities in a particular environment. He says that the home has a basic and pivotal role for a child and students are never guided and counselled without knowing about family problems. He has an opinion that the duty of parents and teachers is to understand and solve students’ problems in such a way that of the adolescent period they could tackle their problems and discharge their duties properly. Problems of secondary school students are related not only in school, but also in their homes. Therefore, a comprehension and assessment of both sides are necessary for an effective student councilor to assist students in resolving their problems and steer them to concentrate on education. A student who is unable to resolve these problems often get confused and become touchy and withdrawn that affects adversely their capabilities and they are unable to perform their academic responsibilities. A pupil is not just a pupil, but a complete human being. He has to be dealt with keeping the sum total of his human

29 character in perspective. According to Burns (1982), establishing confidence in pupils is a key consideration in determining the extent to which the teacher is able to foster a favorable perception towards learning among pupils.

iii. Motivation of Student

Motivation, is typically defined as the force that account for the arousal, selection, direction, and the continuation of the behavior. Some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, but many need-or expect-their instructors to inspire, challenge, and stimulate them. According to Ericksen (2009), “Effective learning in the classroom depends on the teacher's ability... to maintain the interest that brought students to the course in the first place.”

Unfortunately, there is no single magical formula for motivating students. Many factors affect a given student's motivation to work and to learn (Bligh, 2006); Sass,

2003): interest in the subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as patience and persistence. Not all students are motivated by the same values, needs, desires, or wants, but some students are motivated by the approval of others and some by overcoming challenges.

Researchers have identified those aspects of the teaching situation that enhance students' self-motivation According to (Lowman,2007; Lucas, 2009; Weinert and

Kluwe, 2007; Bligh, 2006). To encourage students to become self-motivated, independent learners; the teachers can do the following:

a. Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' beliefs that they

can do well

b. Ensure opportunities for students' success by assigning tasks that are neither

too easy nor too difficult

c. Help students find personal meaning and value in the material

30 d. Create an atmosphere that is open and positive

e. Help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community

Research has also demonstrated that everyday teaching practices can do more to counter student apathy than special efforts to attack motivation directly (Ericksen,

2009). Most students respond positively to a well-organized course taught by an enthusiastic instructor who has a genuine interest in students and what they learn.

Thus activities you undertake to promote learning also enhance students' motivation.

Though many government teachers in the public sector are trained in motivational methods and some of them possess bachelor and master degrees in education but it is the quality that matters. Real teaching techniques including motivation; are seldom followed by the teachers; resulting in dejection among students and dropouts. Those who stay back take in what is poured into them.

2.2.1.2.3. Curriculum and content related factors

Curriculum and allied factors can be discussed in the following aspects:

i. Curriculum

Literary the word curriculum means “race course” while in education system, curriculum means a defined and prescribed course of studies, which students must fulfil in order to pass a certain level of education. It can also be defined as a complete academic program that is observed in an educational institution and plays a vital role in the overall academic achievements of the students.

Federal Government of Pakistan after consultation with provincial Governments approves and promulgates schemes of studies, curricula, textbook manuscripts and strategic schedules for their introduction in government schools throughout the country. This differs from curriculum adopted by Cambridge/Oxford schools. Madaris have their own curricula.

31 The curriculum in government schools is controlled by the Central / National Bureau of Curriculum and Textbooks (NBCT, National Bureau of Curriculum and Text

Books commonly known as the Curriculum Wing) who supervise curriculum and textbook development/approval and ensure that this curriculum is followed by primary, secondary and higher secondary schools. Each province has its own curriculum sections responsible to ensure provincial collaboration and evolve a consensus in all activities falling within the purview of the Federation. There are four

Provincial Textbook Boards (PTTB); one in each province. Within their respective jurisdictions, these PTTBs are responsible for preparing, publishing, stocking, distributing and marketing school textbooks.

It may be noted that the process of curriculum reform in Pakistan has been introduced as part of the successive series of national education policies (1972, 1979, 1992 1998 and 2009) but in spite of adopting a variety of approaches and methodologies still there seems to be significant pitfalls in the curriculum development, affecting the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum development process in Pakistan.

Researchers like Memon (2008), Shami (2009) and Nayyar (2008), have highlighted different factors resulting in curriculum deficiencies in Pakistan as follows:

a. Expertise

Involvement of serving teachers is marginal in the curriculum development process.

Only a few serving teachers are selected for curriculum revisions and upgrade; notwithstanding their outstanding subject area expertise, their contribution to the curriculum development is nominal. The main reason for this is that they are subject area experts only, whereas curriculum design requires in depth knowledge of the learning process, available facilities and the correlation between different subject areas. Lack of required expertise leads to deficiencies in designed curricula. The

32 existing teacher training programs provide little exposure in this area, and academic qualifications of teachers do not necessarily contribute to curricular creativity.

Therefore, at best, the teachers are able to provide opinions about the compatibility between specific concepts or content and the intellectual development level of the children in a specific age group or grade. However, this guidance often reflects, in part, a particular situation with which the teachers have been dealing (e.g. Children from a rural background) and, in part, their own capability to render a specific concept comprehensible.

b. Textbook Quality

The prescribed Textbooks often do not reflect the curriculum. It requires considerable experience and skill to: translate the curriculum in a style that covers the course content and learning objectives on one hand; while simultaneously taking into consideration the children’s language proficiency and background knowledge; and concurrently arrange the content in a logical sequence in a stimulating manner to progressively make a child learn the desired content is stipulated time. From most of the text books, self-assessment questions or activities (especially questions focused on higher order skills) are missing. There are textbooks with errors and grammatical mistakes.

c. Implementation and Follow-Up

Associated problem is a lack of monitoring to ensure follow-up of actual curriculum in classrooms across the country. There are the gaps between officially approved and circulated curriculum and that is actually followed by teachers and implemented in many schools. The classroom teacher, who primarily focuses on the textbooks and assessment, does not take into account the educational objectives. No evaluation of the implemented curriculum is carried out; hence, no feedback is received to revise

33 the curriculum. In short, each of the steps in the curriculum development process occurs in isolation resulting in development of incoherent and deficient curriculum.

ii. Deficiencies in Internal Examination System in Public Schools

According to Bhatti et al. (2008); externalization of examinations has pushed students, parents and even teachers infiltrate examining bodies. The secrecy of examination process gets compromised and influential obtain higher marks by hook or crook. The notable malpractices are leakage, test paper preparation, impersonation, external assistance, smuggling of cheating materials, copying, and collusion, intimidating, substituting of scripts, improper assignments, ghost centers, marker malpractices and forged awards/certificates. (World Bank Group 2008)

Though the observation cannot be a universal trust yet in case the findings are correct to some extent at school level then the reasons for these malpractices are: High Stakes of the examination and internal testing, school status, personal factors (Some students are more prone to cheating than others), inadequate schooling facilities and low salary of teachers, political influence, law and order, location of examination centres, low staff salary levels and poor rates of remuneration to examiners and lack of values and proper checks and balances in the system however the background of an examination context is important factor to be judgmental about it Unlike an internal examination system of a public school, the Board examination found to be more effective where private and public school students equally take the examination with better results in favour of private school students (Habib et al 2009).

iii. Fee Structure and Quality of Education

Though Hayes (2008) said that, “Pakistan perhaps has the lowest student’s fee in the world”. This is true only for government schools. The fees charged by private school are exorbitant and not affordable by a large majority of the populace. The low fee

34 structure of government schools attracts poor masses, but due to dismally low standards of education, these schools have limited attraction for students from middle and higher middle classes. An associated consequence of low fee structure is the lack of interest and no sense of ownership of school by parents. Most parents assume that it is enough that their children are going to school. Quality of education imparted by school and scholastic achievement of students is of lesser concern to them.

Recently the government has taken some positive steps. Officially, in Sindh; the education is free and students are no more asked to pay even nominal fees. The education department has declared that the necessities of the government schools were provided through a special grant supplied by the government through School

Management Committees (SMC). Corruption, lack of planning and mismanagement; this decision has not been implemented. On the contrary, it has produced drastic negative effects for many schools now are left without any funds to meet their running expenses. This careless planning without sense has badly damaged not only mediocrity but also good government schools.

2.3 HOME ENVIRONMENT, PARENTS, SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND

SECONDARY EDUCATION

According to the research, the social status of a child plays a significant role not only in academic achievement of a student, but it also impacts child’s physical, psychological, social and emotional development. Economic status of parents, their educational qualification, social status, place of residence, family background, etc. are the major pedagogical factors that affect the student’s learning potential and determines his chances for upward mobility socially and economically. A good home environment and social status of parents is essential for good academic performance

35 and has a constructive effect on overall personality development. A number of studies can be cited to support this contention.

2.3.1 Interaction between Parents and their Children

The term "parent involvement" includes several different forms of participation in education and with the schools. Parents can support their children's schooling by attending school functions and responding to school obligations (parent-teacher conferences, for example). They can become more involved in helping their children improve their schoolwork--providing encouragement, arranging for appropriate study time and space, modelling desired behavior (such as reading for pleasure), monitoring homework, and actively tutoring their children at home.

The research overwhelmingly demonstrates that parent involvement in children's learning is positively related to achievement. Further, the research shows that the more intensively parents are involved in their children's learning the more beneficial are the achievement effects. This holds true for all types of parent involvement in children's learning and for all types and ages of students (Kathleen 2009).

A classic large-scale study of parental involvement in the UK is shown by Cyster et al. (2007); who analyzed questionnaires returned from 14000 schools (83% responsible rate). He found that only 35% of the schools had a parent teacher association and a further 26 % claimed some loose equivalent. Irvine et al. (2007) reported on parent involvement schemes and showed that parent involvement had a positive effect, which was independent of the child’s age; mother’s educational background or family financial status.

In the context of specific middle and lower middle class of Karachi and due to the specific background, residential facilities, large families, qualification, cultural

36 history, socioeconomic problems and other such hurdles faced by the parents the interaction between parents and children is low.

2.3.2 Relation between Home and Society

It has been stated by Mortimore et al. (2010) that working-class homes display the whole range of such characteristics: parental encouragement, high aspiration, high income, good housing and cultural milieu similar to the school. In addition, in working class homes, when all these are absent, many pupils are still educationally successful. Nevertheless, it remains the case that the social class of pupils’ parents is a strong predictor of their educational attainment). This is a strong predictor of their educational attainment, ranging from learning to read in the latter years, and beyond.

While Roberts (2007) narrates that the way in which social class may have an additional distinctive influence on educational attainments is through the influence of upper middle class and middle class families who adopt a general view of the world (a set of general attitude, expectation, values and ways of having) which is derived from their types of occupation and associated status and method of working.

In general, this view is reflected in the middle class emphasis on the virtues of individual enterprise and personal advancement in contrast to the working class emphasis on a collective outlook. Kyriacou (2008) sees that until recent years, a much better match between the middle class emphasis and the nature of schooling. In this respect, the trends towards greater use of groups and cooperative activities in schools should benefit working-class pupils. Social integration facilitates academic adjustments as well.

2.4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

2.4.1 Achievement, Social Class and Socioeconomic Factors

37 Gallagher (2007) states that as we focus on developing standards and raising expectations, we need to face the “. . . unpleasant reality that education, by itself, is a weak treatment.” He further notes that “It is clear that there are variables within the family, within the culture, and within the physical environment, plus limitations within the genetic makeup of the individual, which will have a greater influence on student achievement than our ‘improved educational program’ for that student.” Similarly, according to Grissmer, et al. (2007) the students with parents who were both college- educated tend to achieve at the highest levels. The study further finds that income, family size, and the mother’s age when the child was born were modestly related to achievement. The authors of the study suggest that the performance gap that exists between one- and two-parent families is a result of other factors, including family income, family size, and/or the parents’ educational levels.

Two important caveats need to be borne in mind concerning the notion of social class.

Firstly, that each class (social status) in practice covers a great diversity of experience.

Secondly, the social change in lifestyle and occupations over the years have influenced the nature of class-consciousness and identification (Kyriacou 2008).

Having said this, the extent to which social class still operates as an area of pupils’ difference with an impact on pupils’ educational attainment is surprising. Part of this continuing influence would appear to be derived from the strong tendency for middle class and working class families, and in particular, pupils to associate primarily with others from their own class, and thus reinforce and consolidate their class associates’ value and attitudes.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Education released a report highlighting that there is a significant gap in student achievement between high and low poverty schools. In general, students do less well if they attend schools where the majority of students are

38 poor. Since it has been observed that students from poor families are less likely to succeed in school for a variety of reasons. There are fewer resources at home (often because the parents themselves were not particularly successful in school), many adults have lower expectations for these children, students often feel alienated from the school and community, and most students lack adult role models, who were good students.

The relationship between poverty and student achievement should not be perceived as an excuse or justification for the poor performance of many students on achievement tests and other measures of school success. However, it should remind us that to ignore poverty in any discussion of improving student learning is disingenuous, and it does nothing to improve learning.

2.4.2 Social Environment

Shaw (2007) expresses that the relationship between social class and educational attainment has been subject of much discussion and research. The term “social class” has not been used in a single and consistent way, but it is generally taken to consist of its main elements (Caste, profession, religion, money, educational qualifications, etc.).

He found that the middle class homes are more likely to provide the child rearing experiences, which foster greater intellectual development, motivation towards success in school, and greater academic self-confidence. Secondly, middle class parents provide a strong identification model, which requires and expects higher educational attainment, if pupils are to enjoy the same lifestyle as their parents or relatives, which shapes their aspiration towards gaining middle class occupation.

According to studies, “Middle-class children do better at school because their parents are generally more involved, the parents' background also increases the school's effort, which increases the school achievement. It might be because middle-class

39 parents are more vocal in demanding that the school work hard. Influencing parental effort is certainly something that is much easier than modifying their social background." (De Gianni De Fraja 2010)

Thirdly, working class homes are more likely to contain extreme poverty, overcrowded with poor housing, along with associated social tension and distress, which undermine a child’s capacity to deal positively with the demand of schooling.

Fourthly, the middle class homes are more likely than the working class to provide a cultural background of experiences, interests, tone and use of language and assumption about worthwhile activities that are in tune with the cultural milieu of the school. Thus to some extent, working class-pupils are more likely to experience a type of cultural shock after entering school, particularly as they are also less likely to have attended preschool classes or nursery class.

Due to specific diversity in cultural chemistry, attitudes and mostly poor financial standing in the middle and lower middle classes associated with government schoolings; a healthy and encouraging a social environment for the government schools in Sindh particularly in Karachi is found missing and needs to be improved radically.

2.4.3 Society and Education

In the context of discussion about social class, Chazan and Williams (2010) discuss that the term educational disadvantage has widely been used to refer to pupils whose opportunity for education attainment has been markedly constrained by either social disadvantage (e.g. Improvised mother-child interaction, absence of cultural experience at home) or any other set of factors (e.g. Poorly resourced local school).

Some writers have discussed the aspects of disadvantage stemming from working class, who experience the extreme of such disadvantage or deprivation.

40 Cyster et al. (2007) found the most frequent type of positive parental involvement was that of helping on school visits and outings (78%) followed by sewing and minor repairs (65%), providing transport (54%), imparting specialist knowledge to children, i.e. usually of vocational type (45%), helping with crafts, cooking, music, under teacher supervision (36%) and helping in the school library (29%). The study also found a strong correlation between social economic status and degree of involvement.

It was noted that the parental involvement could serve merely to add yet another string to the bow of middle class educational advantage. Some evidential physical layout of a school and the form of teaching organization adopted can also affect levels of parental involvement activity in question. Larger schools with poor staffing ratios were particularly likely to encourage parental involvement.

Officially, the prime source of interaction among a government school, family and community is School Management Committee (SMC) whose role has been severely criticized by so many researches according to which “Most are still largely controlled by the head teachers who continue to select members, and school management remains de facto with the staff. Most SMC members, moreover, know little, if anything, about their roles and responsibilities. For example, a majority of SMC members in Sindh had never received the notifications delineating their powers”

(Devolution in Pakistan- WB Study 2008).

About the role of these SMCs, Smith (2008) says that the community participation in this sector could be categorized into two lowest types of participation: manipulative and passive. The manipulative face is evident from the manner in which these committees and associations were formed and failure of the government to delegate powers to them. The SMCs and PTAs, were mostly established through official notification, and therefore, they remained more or less an official obligation of the

41 school headmaster and implementing agencies. Few efforts were made to articulate the interest of parents and community members after the formulation of these committees. Despite training of Village Education Committees (VECs) and School

Management Committees (SMCs), the role of the community remained minimal with power resting with influential local people or groups (Smith, 2008).

The passive nature of community participation in this sector is linked to the first type.

The parent members of these committees had virtually no role in school management and utilization of funds because the headmaster or headmistress had no interest to engage them in an interactive manner. By the year 1997–98, they existed nominally in

74% of the elementary schools (ADB 2001). The head of a school, after receiving official notification, consults with staff and proposes the names of parents who would then be obliged to become a member of the committee. In many cases, these committees were established by dictation. The district education officers nominated the members and directed their work. Out of the total SMCs established until 1997–

98, 71% did not receive any funds. It is pertinent to mention here that no funds were earmarked for SMCs for long, and therefore they were not fully authorized to receive and spend funds on educational materials and school repairs (SSAPP-GoP 2008).

2.5 IMPACT OF PARENTS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, ON

CHILDREN’S ACHIEVEMENT

2.5.1 Parents’ Livelihood

Hurlock (2009) found that the father’s occupation is important to a young child as it has a direct bearing on the child’s welfare. The father’s occupation has a cultural significance in that it can affect the child’s social prestige.

Elementary and high school children accept adult attitudes and values concerning professions and classify people accordingly. The attitude of a child ashamed of his

42 father’s occupation is adversely affected. Unfortunately, many cultures are class conscious and abhor many essential professions. A menial worker has no social status in our society, a person in government employment is considered better placed than a person at a similar level, but employed in a private concern and professions of a doctor and engineer have more social status than that of a teacher. The elimination of class-consciousness from society is necessary for achieving Education for All goals and the creation of a knowledge driven nation and must be emphasized by the government and other influential social classes.

2.5.2 Correlation between Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Academic

Achievement (AA)

There are the studies that show that the parents’ economic and social status affects the educational achievement of their children.

Kyriacou (2008) expresses the view that it is clear that a number of factors influence educational attainment, including ability and motivation. To the extent that differences in social classes are bound up with differences in the ability and motivation of pupils. It is not social class, which influences attainment, but rather the underlying psychological experience associated with middle and working class homes respectively. Particular attention has been paid to the greater degree of cultural shock for morning class pupils, which stems from the way teachers use language in the classroom and the type and the content of the curriculum experience and school activities, which are based on certain assumptions about common interests and lifestyles. Yasmeen (2010) and A. Parveen (2007) found that:

a. Parents of lower stratum have significant correlation for their children’s job

inclination even at the secondary school stage.

43 b. In the middle class family, children receive education, according to parents’

planning and preference.

c. The parents of lower income group crave jobs for their school-going children,

while there is no such tradition in the upper stratum.

:Ur Rehman et al (2011) and Fatima (2010) observed that:

a. Parents’ social and economic conditions based on an area of the house,

monthly income, and household goods; have no correlation with standard of

education.

b. There is no correlation between joint family system and standard of education.

c. Parents’ academic qualification doesn’t affect their children’s education.

However, on the contrary; Cuttance (2009), Gray (2007), White (2008) and Reynolds

(2007) have argued those contextual variables; particularly the pupils’ ability, social classes are such major determinants of educational attainments.

2.6 EDUCATION IN KARACHI REGION

Education is the lifeline of any nation while Pakistan’s economical lifeline is linked with Karachi. It is the biggest city of Pakistan, generates the largest share of GDP and rich variety of cultural diversities. No wonder Karachi is also nick named mini

Pakistan.

Quality education for all is essential for Karachi to transfer into a modern prosperous city second to none in the world. According to Wikipedia on “Karachi” (2014), each year there is influx of many thousands 5% of the population or 45,000 per month) of people belonging to lower and middle classes from all over Pakistan; who migrate to

Karachi to earn their livelihood. As these migrants, mostly come from poverty-ridden areas and have meager household income, they invariably depend upon low cost/no

44 cost government schools for the education of their children. Struggling for economic survival, these migrants have a passive attitude towards the government schools. For them it is enough that their child is admitted in public schools. The standard and quality of education is of no concern to most of them. They are seldom actively engaged in educational achievement of their children. With falling standards of education in government schools in Sindh and in Karachi combined with deteriorating economic conditions the parents of the underprivileged classes soon, lose faith in entire education system.

After the devolution of power plan, the educational setup was drastically changed.

The new system was having many weaknesses since it was installed in 2001, by the then President Musharraf Government. Unfortunately, when it started becoming matured, upcoming Governments at Center and in Province 2008 wiped it up.

Education in Karachi has remained in many hands and under the control of different administrations, which loosen the chain of command. Lack of coordination between two administrations is resulting in an overall decline of educational standards in government schools of Karachi. Due to the unclear responsibilities, multiple reporting channels, personnel issues, structural issues, capacity problems, etc. according to

Paracha, (2007) overall administration is the weakest part of the new system,.

Increasing rate of unemployment and crimes are the preliminary warning signs in the context of slackness in educational planning, implementation, monitoring and reviewing. If serious appropriate steps are not taken in time, then it would be too late for the Karachites. The consequences will negatively affect the economy of Sindh province and Pakistan.

The new provincial government 2008-13 which elected in 2013 for the next five years too, wiped out the educational setup under City District Government Karachi

45 (CDGK)and revert to the previous system under the administration of Education and

Literacy Department, Govt. of Sindh. Due to these acts of experimentalism, the public school system has greatly suffered. Though the system has been rolled back, but in spite of elapsing years, the old system with almost the same administrative hierarchy exist and in real the existing structure is hung between the old and the new.

2.6.1 Vital Statistics about Secondary School

One of the most important initiatives towards improving quality education by the government may be collection of related data under National Education Census and in

Sindh; through Sindh Education Management System (SEMIS) under Reform

Support Unit (RSU) Education and Literacy Department, Govt. of Sindh. Though the data sometimes brought under discussion, yet it plays a vital role in education related planning, project implementation. Sindh Education Reform Project (SERP-I and II)

(World Bank co-funded projects) also based upon the data provided by SEMIS.

According to the Annual Census 2011-12 from SEMIS (Appendix- I); out of 573 secondary schools 258 and 258 for boys and girls while 57 are mixed however 564 are functional and 9 are closed. A number of 99,594 girls and 63,992 boys are studying with 8,681 teachers, i.e. 6,064 female and 2,617 male teachers in these schools. Owing to specific related issues in spite of overall student teacher ratio of 1 teacher for 19 students; the quality of education is critical. Due to heavy rains and other problems, 21 schools are considered damaged out of 573 schools. As far as schools shifts, Mostly girls schools (206) are running in the morning shift of a building i.e. 390 while mostly boys school (104) are running in evening shift i.e. 174.

Medium wise 492 schools are Urdu Medium (national language), 39 are of Sindhi

Medium (provincial language of Sindh) while 34 are of English medium. Out of the total teachers working, 8,172 are from regular government service, 382 are those

46 whose services have been hired by the government on contract basis while a number

74 teacher hired either from School’s own funds or through various donors/projects.

So far as professional qualifications are concerned out of a total of 8,681; there are

321 having a Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC), 1,016 with Certificate in Teacher

(CT), 5,080 with Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.), 1,298 are having a Master Degree in

Education (M.Ed.) while 652 are those who are having different professional degrees.

Merely a number of 56 who are untrained, however, a number of 258 have not provided details of their degrees. As regards the basic building facilities out of 573 schools with 8200 classrooms; 12 school buildings are under the non-government ownership while 31 is on rental basis. Moreover 243 buildings are in a satisfactory state, 236 need repairable, 45 are in danger state, however information about 31 is not available. About the basic facilities, 485 reportedly have the electricity, 530 are having toilets, 471 are with drinking water, 547 with boundary wall and 341 are with playgrounds. Unfortunately, only 167 schools have the school libraries, but 415 are with science labs. Furthermore 554 have functional School Management Committee

(SMCs), 533 are available free text books, 116 are those where construction work is in progress and 251 where provision of girls stipends are available. Interestingly, for around 163,586 students merely 1,385 computers are available without any information that how many of them are working and meeting with the required needs.

2.7 CONCLUSION

The literature review concludes with the:

i. Secondary education throughout the country needs special attention; where in

spite of different improved versions of national education policies; the real

productive implementation could not be made due to which HDI and GCI are

at low level and Millennium Development Goals have not been yet

47 satisfactorily achieved. This may be due to low investment or implementation

gaps due to various factors. The leading challenges are low literacy ratio,

dropout and low quality of secondary education.

ii. In the perspective of scholastic factors, teachers’ role as professional, their

relations with students, educational environment, curriculum, teachers’

expertise, text book’s quality, implementation and follow up, student-teacher

affinity, counselling and motivation, examination system and cost of education

are significant.. iii. There is the significant influence of socioeconomic factors on secondary

education particular parents’ socioeconomic status. Social status of the

student, home environment, the role of parents and peers, social influence,

societal approach are notable iv. Secondary school education in Karachi facing challenges due to ad-hoc

policies and experimentalism particularly during the devolution of power plan

i.e. Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) and haphazard rolling back

of it, low level of ownership and leadership at management level, lack of

effective use of resources, poor infrastructure of schools, law and order

situation and political involvement.

There are the studies on the state of education in perspective of Pakistan, Sindh and

Karachi e.g., State of Education by Khalid et el (2006), Education and the State-Fifty

Years of Pakistan by Hoodbhoy (2008), A people of migrants: ethnicity, state, and religion in Karachi by Verkaik (2007), Education in Pakistan-Key issues, problems and the new challenges by Memon (2007),. Education system in Pakistan: Issues and problems by Farooq (2007) and Rethinking education in Pakistan: Perceptions, practices, and possibilities by Siddiqui. (2009) etc. However, there was a dire need to

48 investigate the factors affecting the achievement of secondary schools of Karachi. So as and a lucid and clear picture of the deteriorating standard of secondary education in government schools of Karachi can be obtained. The under view, research is special in a sense that it is in perspective of:

i. Karachi, the biggest and most populous city of Pakistan, hence the results may

be applied to a related and broader context as well.

ii. Blend of people, diversified culture, economy, social classes and mixture of

rural –urban context, etc. hence the outcomes of the study are applicable at the

provincial and national level. iii. Students of critical age, soon after which the students may be ready to set

themselves for a career, hence the findings can be very important for the future

policy making and proper implementation. iv. Public school system, having a maximum intake of students, mostly belongs to

middle or lower middle class, hence the findings are valid at a broader level.

The study includes government policies and priorities, socioeconomic and scholastic factors, socioeconomic conditions of parents and students in relation to standard of secondary education in different aspects. Since the data for this study were collected from schools belonging to assorted strata of society with students, parents and teachers of different socioeconomic backgrounds; thus the interpretation in this aspect, has produced a more comprehensive, consistent and reliable picture of the situation. The results of this study not only assist all stakeholders associated with the school education in Karachi but are also be helpful for future researchers as well as planners, educators, and scholars of Sindh and other provinces of Pakistan. The lessons learnt may also be applicable to similar situations elsewhere in the developing world.

49 CHAPTER – III

RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase was about the identification of significant factors while the other was correlation of a range of factors with a measurable criterion of the standard of education at a contextual school level.

Survey method was used to collect the data from the respondents.

3.1 POPULATION

The population of the study was comprised of all school heads, senior teachers, prefects/ students and their parents/guardians and education officers of the school administration cadre related to Government Boys and Girls Secondary Schools of

Karachi

3.2 SAMPLE

In the study, a sample of 144 schools (Appendix-A) out of total 573 schools (every fourth) in successive order, was used in:

i. Identification of situational pedagogical (Scholastic and Socioeconomic

Factors) by the respondents (Teachers, Students and their Parents)

ii. Rating of schools against each situational pedagogical factor with each sample

school (by the nominated raters), for the analysis and determination of

correlation between the “means (averages) of “rating score” of each identified

factor and the “academic achievement result of each school (BSEK result)”.

3.3.1 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION

3.3.1 Questionnaires

Three sets of questionnaires were prepared each for Senior Teachers, Students and their Parents, for the scanning of their view and identify leading situation factors

(Appendices B to D)

a. Validity and Reliability

In order to ensure validity and reliability of the tools, a panel of educationists was requested to refine the first draft of the questionnaires. They considered many of the questions as intact and arranged document of research. They also further refined the items in the context of relevancy, simplicity, language and purposefulness. The factors like: planned mode of data collection, respondents’ efforts, wording, sequence, format, information accuracy, measured behavior, structure, visual layout and analytical plan etc. were kept in view while refining the tool. The restructured questionnaires were then, piloted among a diversified sample of 30 teachers, 30 students, and 30 parents. Reliability of questionnaire items was obtained as 0.671,

0.779 and 0.657 Alpha respectively. The finalized questionnaires then were administered among the desired sample, as briefed below.

b. Selection of Respondents and Data

A request letter (Appendix H) was issued to the heads of sample schools, containing the following request and criteria,:

i. A teachers’ questionnaire was to be filled by two senior most HSTs with

minimum qualification as Bachelor Degree (B. Sc.. /B.A../B. Com or

equivalent with B. Ed), 5 years teaching experience to teach grade IX/X, good

academic results in last three years

ii. Students’ questionnaire was to be filled Two prefects/monitors or students of

grade X with at least 60% marks in previous class i.e. grade IX iii. Parents’ questionnaire was to be filled by two parents/guardians of the same

prefects/monitors or students of grade X or members of School Management

51 Committee (SMC) who are educated, active and well versed in school and

education related affairs.

The questionnaires for teachers, students and their parents contained 88, 84 and 64 questions, respectively. Out of the total collected questionnaires, 345 were selected

(115 for each stratum) for the scanning of views. In this identification phase, the completed questionnaires were processed for the statistical analysis, generalization and interpretation for the identification of 18 significant pedagogical traits further sub-divided and categorized into scholastic (internal) and social-economic (external) factors.

3.3.2. Rating Sheets/ Proforma

On the basis of above identification; a “Rating Sheet/Proforma” was developed

(Appendix E) to rate, each of the sample schools against each of the situational factors.

a. Selection of Raters and Data Collection

Concerned DOE (M/F) S&HS were requested (Appendix G) to recommend 25 raters

(senior education officer/school head) based upon the following criteria:

i. The rater must be having at least having a post graduate degree with a degree

in education,

ii. Having least 3 (three) years’ experience in school/town/district administration iii. Having sufficient knowledge and well versed about sample schools’ affairs

located in Karachi

The recommended raters thus evaluated the sample schools for rating against each variable (Appendix-E). The mean of each variable, thus obtained was matched against the result of Secondary School Certificate (the SSC-I & II) examination of the same sample school to measure the significance of correlation between the two.

52 However, identification and correlation study; have been independent exercises yet they were significantly related with each other in determining the correlation between the standard of education and pedagogical factors related to the Government

Secondary Schools of Karachi

3.3.3 RESULT MODULE

Board of Secondary School Education Karachi (BSEK) on request, provided the data on the academic achievement/result by the BSEK of the required period in Excel form which was converted to database application (Screenshot at Appendix J, K)

3.3.4 SEMIS Database Module about Schools

On request, the Reform Support Unit, Education and Literacy Department, Govt. of

Sindh, provided related educational statistics/database about schools of Karachi, converted to the database module (Screenshot Appendix L)

3.4 ANALYSIS OF DATA FOR CORRELATION

To determine the impact and the correlation between identified pedagogical factors/traits and the academic achievement of the students of the sample schools; the mean scores of rating against each of 18 identified traits (factors) were compared with the mean of the grading scores of the result of each sample school. The reason to focus on Science Group result was the fact that an overwhelming majority of regular students of government secondary schools prefer to opt “science group”. In this regard,

i. The rating of the traits by 25 raters was graded on an 11 point scale according

to the following formula and rating of individual schools, by the raters, on

certain characteristics,.

1 (one) = For the best.

11 (Eleven) = For the worst.

53 Rating  = ∑ Rating of Schools i1-11

ii. In relation to the other variable i.e. the result of Secondary School Certificate

(SSC) examination; the numeral values were assigned as follows:

Table 1 Grades and Assigned Numeric Values

Grade Obtained Assigned Numeric Value A-1 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E 6 F 7

iii. T Result  = Percent in grade i 1-100 x Grade j.1-7 h 100 e

score for the schools was calculated according to the percentage in grade

multiplied by the numeral value of grade summed up and dived by 100.

iv. The score of the outcome was correlated with the average rating on the trait

characteristics. v. The Pearson’s Correlation formula was applied to determine correlation

between the result of the SSC examination by the Board of Secondary

School Education Karachi (BSEK) and trait characteristics.

54 CHAPTER – IV

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

The findings of the study are based on the data collected through a set of three questionnaires responded by teachers, students and parents with 86, 81 and 60 questions respectively. The data led to the identification of 18 traits or situational factors against which the raters rated each of the situation factors of the identified schools. For the correlation between identified factors, based upon the mean of the raters rating and the result of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination further working was made through statistical interpretation. The findings were divided into following four sections as described below:

1. Analysis of Internal Pedagogical or Scholastic Factors

2. Analysis of External Pedagogical or Socio Economic Factors

3. Combined Analysis of Internal and External Pedagogical Factors

4. Hypotheses Testing

4.1 INTERNAL PEDAGOGICAL OR SCHOLASTIC FACTORS

Internal pedagogical factors were divided into three categories:

i. Teacher Related Factors.

ii. School Facilities Related Factors. iii. Factors Related to “The Existing System of Examinations and Malpractices”.

4.1.1 Teacher Related Factors

Following five most significant teachers’ related factors were studied:

i. Professional Norms

ii. Terms and Conditions of Service

iii. Choice of Profession

iv. Professional Capability of Teachers

55 v. Teacher-Student Relationship

4.1.1.1 Teachers’ Professional Norm

The teacher-students interaction, is based on several aspects of perception. In order to achieve the maximum mileage out of it, the teacher needs to exhibit certain characteristics to develop and maintain fruitful relationship with his pupils. The key characteristics are the teacher’s: good personality, academic ability and skill, innovative approach, communication skills, honesty and sincerity, leadership, justice, uniformity of speech and action, capacity for constant improvement and love of the profession etc. As a comprehensive survey encompassing all the factors was not possible, the entire list was contracted into four most important factors,

Nature/Attitude towards Students, Scholarship, Commitment and Honesty with sincerity based on review of literature and discussions with different subject matter experts.

The above four factors were placed in the questionnaires and submitted to 115 teachers. Responses received are as given in Table-2 below:

Table 2 Teachers’ Responses Regarding Characteristics of Teachers

S. Characteristics Teachers’ Opinion No Yes % No % Total %

1 Nature/Attitude towards 38 62 100 Students 2 Scholarship 41 59 100 3 Commitment. 39 61 100 4 Honesty with sincerity. 52 48 100 N=115

i. Nature/Attitude towards Students

Since the teacher’s professional target is a student, thus interpersonal interaction is far more important to achieve desired output from this relationship. A teacher having

56 good interpersonal skills is more successful in imparting education than the one who is lacking this ability (Jennifer L. Jennings et al: 2009).

Table-2 indicates that only 38% of teachers show professional and positive attitude towards their students. A whopping 62% of teachers lack this ability and hence their educational performance is seldom up to desired mark.

Affectionate attitude of a teacher is necessary ingredient for the physical, mental, emotion and psychological growth of young students. It has been observed that direct or indirect lack of teachers’ affection results in general unhappiness among students, which may lead to melancholia, anti-social behavior, psychopathic personality, psychoneurosis, or it even may result in a certain form of psychosis such as schizophrenia. Researchers have found that the emotional deprivation of affection causes a negative impact on children’s personality. Researchers found that emotionally starved children are introverted, show little interest in others and become demanding and selfish (Winograd; 2009)

It is concluded that through affection and encouragement of friendliness, a teacher is able to foster a favorable perception towards learning among pupils, most notably by establishing in pupils self-esteem regarding themselves as learners.

This important factor of the educational spectrum is being neglected in almost all the government secondary schools of Karachi. There is no time allotted for teacher- student counselling in the school timetable. On the other hand, it was found that the deprivation of a child during the early years, automatically lays the foundation for maladjusted adult personality with the tendency to develop affectionless or psychopathic characteristics later.

Unfortunately, Table-2 indicates that only about 1/3rdof teachers engage themselves affectionately and develop a congenial relationship with their students. It is, hence

57 essential that this particular negative attitude of cold teachers forming 2/3rd majority, should be changed or these teachers may be replaced with better natured instructors/educators to reduce the risk of personality damage of prospective students in government schools of Karachi. ii. Scholarship

Scholarship is a very important educational weapon in teachers’ store. Subject knowledge and dexterity in sophistication of learning is unavoidable for the professional survival of the teachers.

The findings of the Table-2 show that only 41% of teachers have scholarship ability.

Whereas according to teachers' own assessment 69% of teachers in government schools of Karachi, do not possess the requisite knowledge, experience and skill to impart training to secondary school students. A natural corollary is that teachers in these schools cannot transmit knowledge in an appropriate manner to their students.

It was also found that many teachers have amassed plentiful degrees and other qualifications to gain monetary benefits, but despite having an impressive qualifications portfolio the quality of their teaching was found to be far below standard. The reason for this anomaly resulted a defective system of examinations, rampant malpractices and administrative loopholes. The other notable factor is that a significant number of senior teachers are either not interested or unable to keep them updated with the modern knowledge. Many senior teachers also lack ICT skills. These teachers remain confined to textbooks. Consequently, when today’s student, who is in touch with the modern world through net and cable TV finds motivational difficulty to adjust and attune with the teacher’s ability and attitude. Generally, today the attitude of society towards teaching profession is discouraging and dispiriting.

Quddus (2009) correctly mentioned that bright students with flying marks prefer to

58 choose other professions rather than teaching. Usually teaching is the last choice for those youths who fail to be employed elsewhere. Learned educationalists blame the negative and unrealistic policies of the governments and corruption, which has resulted in degradation of the teaching profession to the extent that a talented individual feels ashamed to join it. This is in direct contravention to the teachings of noble religions including Islam.

According to Hayes (2008), a teacher is truly the pivot of any educational system and educational standards are directly linked with the quality of teachers, available in the field. The Teachers who are knowledgeable, professionally trained and committed to their profession, make the real difference between good and poor education.

Corroborating this theme Quddus (2009) says “No system of education is better than its teachers.” Describing the characteristics of a successful teacher, he says “He should be academically well-qualified and competent in his teaching subjects; he must have sound professional training in teaching methodology, well trained in working with children and understand the psychology of the child. In addition to this, he should possess a deep sense of professional honor. Beside these characteristics he should have a commitment to his profession and must be attuned to the educational, moral, emotional and psychological development of the child.”

In the same perspective; Kyriacou (2008) indicates four main factors which assist teachers in playing their part effectively, i.e. status, teaching competence, classroom control and discipline. Any nation in order to achieve academic excellence should ensure that the teachers have the security of tenure and a scale of pay commensurate with their status. Besides, the environment in which a teacher works; should be fully cognizant of his contributions and honors him accordingly. iii. Commitment

59 Teaching is treated nobler than any other professions in all the cultures of the world; because it matters with the shaping of the souls. This success in teaching is not merely based upon simple principles of economics, but it needs special commitment towards the profession for ultimate success, which is not merely about earning money through the profession but also earning of esteem and dignity as well.

Table 2 shows that only 39% of teachers have a passion for service. This is quite unsatisfactory. Teachers must have a high degree of dedication towards their profession. Leaving aside a very small percentage of dedicated and committed teachers, a large majority of teachers in government schools in Karachi does not work with missionary spirit and are not devoted to the propagation of knowledge as the primary object of their professional life. This creates disconnect between students and teachers and leads to overall stagnation of students' ability to learn. iv. Honesty with Sincerity

Students are the best observers of teachers. In most of the cases, the character of a teacher is carved in the minds of the students, as a role model. This not only affects their everyday behavior in the class, but somehow shapes future attitudes of students also. A student can only learn easily, if he is satisfied with what the teacher teaches for which students keenly observe the character of the teacher. With the tools of honesty and sincerity, a teacher establishes an unforgettable impression, which not only helps a lot in the overall learning process but also helps to promote a healthy community.

Table 2 shows that only 52% of teachers show honesty, sincerity with their students and discharge their duties honestly which seems to be due to not only lack of accountability but also lack of quality education and inculcating of ethical values in teachers. Here not only again the criterion for selection of teachers is important, but

60 also the loopholes in the management of government schools are worth considering.

From another perspective, if the whole society has tilted towards materialistic barbarism rather than the human values, then the media is the means to bring public focus on ethical issues. Thus, conscience of society can be stirred to bring about a positive change.

4.1.1.2 Terms, Conditions and Environment of Service

In spite of universal conviction that, “Teaching is a prophetic profession and not a mean for financial betterment”; the truth cannot be ignored that a teacher cannot work peacefully until and unless, he is not paid properly and provided with adequate facilities and favorable working conditions. Terms, Conditions and Environment of

Service; shape the general attitude of employees and affect their productivity. Better terms of service combined with a constructive work environment attract competent workers and increases productivity. Mediocre terms of service and harsh work environment leads to flight of good workers, leaving behind mediocre and careless employee. As a result, overall productivity and performance of the school is affected.

In the questionnaires, 155 questions were related to study of these conditions. These questions addressed the aspects of Pay Structure of Secondary School Teachers,

Supplementary Income and Inflationary effects and work environment. i. Pay Structure of Secondary School Teachers

The Table 3 below shows the miserable picture about the income of government teachers. In the context of present inflation and hike in the prices of commodities and services, the income is meager for a teacher to run his family smoothly into the situation, which results inefficiency in working, slackness, irresponsibility, lack of interest in job, corruption and concentration on seeking other resources of income. In government, schools there are multiple cadres for teachers ranging from pay scale 9 to

61 17. Teachers are moved to next higher pay scale (Selection Grade/Time Scale) based

on certain criteria. For example, initially an untrained HST is appointed in BPS-15

while for completion of certain trainings he is allowed BPS-16 followed by selection

grade BPS-17. Similarly, after serving for a certain period, the teacher is allowed the

next higher scale of salary known as Time Scale based salary. These selection

grade/Time scale benefits only entitle the teachers to draw salary of higher grade. The

status and duties of these promotes remain unchanged. The teachers in BPS-16/17, are

not equivalent to the Gazetted Government officers of the same scale.

Table 3 Present Pay Scale and Salary of the Teachers Working in a Typical Government Secondary Schools of Karachi (Source: FD-MoF-MO)

INITIAL INITIAL INITIAL INITIAL SALARY OF SALARY OF SALARY OF SALARY OF INITIAL INITIAL INITIAL INITIAL NAME OF POST INITIAL SCALE GRADE. GRADE. GRADE. GRADE. YEAR YEAR 2001 YEAR 2005 YEAR 2011 2008 RUPEES RUPEES RUPEES RUPEES

High School Teacher 15/16/17* 3285 3780 5220 8500 (HST)

Junior School Teacher 9/14* 2410 2770 4920 8000 (JST) Drawing Teacher (DT) 9/14/16* 2410 2770 4920 8000 Physical Education 9/14/16 2410 2770 4920 8000 Teacher (PET) Arabic/ Oriental / Sindhi Language 9/14/16* 2410 2770 4920 8000 Teacher (AT/OT/SLT) Assistant Workshop 9/16* 2410 2770 4920 8000 Assistant (AWI) Workshop Assistant 15/16/17* 3285 3780 5220 8500 (WI) * Next higher scale, selection grades/time scales are awarded owing to fulfilment of certain criteria or qualification/period of service.

According to the findings of the questionnaire it has been noted that hardly 10% of

the responding teachers are earning more than Rs.10, 000/- per month (initial salary,

without other allowance) or above while the monthly salary of most teachers is in the

62 range of Rs. 5, 000/- to 10,000/-. Teachers who constitute an extremely vital segment of the society live a poverty-ridden life of destitution; without cognizance of their contribution by the society and no hope of any relief from any quarter in the foreseeable future. The government has increased the salaries of the government servants to a significant extent yet if the government desires to improve the educational standard, then the salary of teachers should be significantly increased in comparison to other cadres of government employment.

It is clarified that most of the teachers are not having merely the initial grades and after acquiring annual increments but are at higher stages. A teacher in addition to his initial salary also gets additional allowances (house rent, conveyance and medical allowances) which have been mentioned in Table 3. It is added that medical allowance is not given to the teachers in the basic salary scale of 16 and above. The above lump sum gross average income is excluded from prescribed deductions

(General Provident Fund, Benevolent Funds, and Insurance etc.). ii. Supplementary Income

Due to the inflation and hike in prices and services, 70% of the teachers feel that their salaries are insufficient to make both ends meet so they look for new jobs and other avenues for generating additional income. A few teachers unable to find a suitable second job go to low-grade work, like Newspaper hawker, Fast Food, Video shop, private business, etc. A large majority of teachers takes up private tuition or works in private coaching centers or take jobs in private schools during the free shirt.

Therefore, it is no more surprising to find that 68% of teachers engage in part time teaching or private coaching to meet their living expenses. This practice has further led some teachers to coerce students to take tuition from them.

63 Government agencies keep on reminding that the salaries of teachers were increased more than 1000% from 1951 to 2005 but forget the ongoing inflation and hike in prices. Similarly a few of the government authorities view that fringe benefits to some specific departments are given on the basis that they earn for the country while public school system is completely deficit financing. They forget that education is the most effective financing for a nation. The teachers mostly complain about the lack of attention of the government on their medical, residential and social issues. According to them the present medical and residential allowances are grossly insufficient to meet today’s skyrocketing medical expenses. Instead, teachers demand that the state should provide medical facilities for teachers and their families. Similarly, the rapport of today’s teacher has declined to such an extent that social survival of a teacher is in great peril. The degradation of status has produced multiple problems for the teachers and their families, e.g. education for their children, marriages, excursions, residence, social contacts, etc. The task of reviving the educational system to improve academic standards can hardly be accomplished without first resolving the problems of the teaching community. iii. Inflationary Effects

Inflation is a chronic problem in many parts of the world. Inflation imposes high costs on economies and societies; disproportionately hurts the poor and fixed income groups and creates uncertainty throughout the economy and undermines macroeconomic stability. Inflation invariably penalizes the poor because of their inability to protect themselves against the consequences due to the absence of any hedge against the risks involved. Lowering inflation, therefore, directly benefits the low and fixed income groups. Inflation in Pakistan is rampant. Prices of essential commodities continue to increase year on year. This has already driven many lower

64 middle class households below the poverty line. The teachers having fixed salaries are somehow one of the most affected communities who deserve more financial benefit with social respect and status too.

Table 4 Hike in Price of Various Items (In Rupees) (Source: Economic Survey, Govt. of Pakistan)

Price in Price in Price in 2004- Item Quantity 1990-91 2011 05 (Rupees) (Rupees) (Rupees) Wheat Kilogram 3.07 11.68 28.5 Rice Kilogram 6.10 20.19 57.12 Daal Mong Kilogram 12.64 31.68 137 Beef Kilogram 25.51 94.83 286 Mutton Kilogram 50.00 185.0 526 Potato Kilogram 5.19 15.0 22 Sugar Kilogram 11.00 24.00 66 Life Buoy Per cake 4.00 14.00 30 Ghee 2.5 Kg 49.00 204.15 495 Curd Kilogram 9.95 25.75 90 Per cup 15 Tea (prepared) 1.35 5.12 (Simple) Kerosene oil Per liter 2.57 29.11 97 Gold Tola 3400 12, 500 56694

Table 5 Comparison of Minimum Basic Salary of Government School Teachers (Source: FD-MoF-GoP, OMs)

Initial Initial Initial Initial Initial Salary Salary Pay Salary Pay Salary Pay Name of Post Salary Pay Pay Scale Scale 1991 Scale 1994 Scale 2005 Scale 2001 2011 (Rupees) (Rupees) (Rupees) (Rupees) (Rupees) High School 1165 2190 3285 3780 8500 Teacher (HST) Junior School 830 1605 2410 2770 8000 Teacher (JST) Drawing Teacher 830 1605 2410 2770 8000 (DT) Physical Education 830 1605 2410 2770 8000 Teacher (PET) Arabic/ Oriental / Sindhi Language 830 1605 2410 2770 8000 Teacher

65 (AT/OT/SLT) Assistant Workshop 830 1605 2410 2770 8000 Assistant (AWI) Workshop 1165 2190 3285 3780 8500 Assistant (WI)

Four different price indices are published in Pakistan: the consumer price index (CPI), the wholesale price index (WPI), the sensitive price index (SPI) and the GDP deflator.

The CPI covers the retail prices of 375 items in 35 major cities and reflects roughly the cost of living in the urban areas. The WPI is used to measure the price movement of selected items in the primary and wholesale markets. The items covered under the

WPI are those, which are offered in lots for sale. The WPI covers the wholesale price of 106 major items prevailing in the city of origin of the commodities. The SPI covers, prices of 53 essential items consumed by those households whose monthly income ranges from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 12000 per month. In most countries, the focus for assessing inflationary trends is placed on the SPI, because it most closely represents the cost of living. In Pakistan, the focus is placed on the CPI as a measure of inflation as it is more representative with a wider coverage of 375 items in 71 markets of 35 cities around the country. Table 4 below is a representative list of prices for daily use items except the last item ‘Gold’. The price of ‘Gold’ is given as base line based on the fact that, the salary of a teacher should be equal to one Tola (South Asian Unit of

Mass equal to 180 troy grains) of gold as it used to be in pre independence period.

The tables 4 and 5 show that the prices of the items of daily usage have risen up to several times in comparison with the revision of pay scale. In addition to the above consumer price index of services, house rent and other factors have considerably increased while the salaries of the teachers could not meet with these ruinous

66 increases and even are not increased with the hike of prices regularly. The teacher community is one of the communities who do not have any other resources like land, ownership and assets to give them additional financial support. They mostly depend upon their salaries or a meager amount that they get from part time jobs. It is very difficult for them to live peacefully. It is obvious that without enabling the employee to balance the gap between their income and expenditure; the optimum output of an organization cannot be achieved. Therefore, the large majority of teachers rightly demand that their salaries should be linked to the price of fluctuation in gold.

4.1.1.3 Choice of Profession

The most common reasons for choosing a profession by young aspirants usually are: personal interest, social status of that profession, family tradition, excitement, and moral-inclination, sense of community, earning potential, career advancement opportunities and challenges involved.

The professional life of a teacher is self-giving. He is giving himself in the service of society and happiness of all beings. Income bringing aspect of services rendered by a teacher has been secondary and not the primary objective. All worldly needs of a teacher must be subordinated to the basic ideals of self-sacrifice for the benefits of mankind and advancement of knowledge. The exercise of such a choice is motivated by a highly complex association of desires, aptitudes, inclinations, competence, opportunities and tendencies, which differ from person to person. The great diversity of motives thus defies generalization.

The variety of reasons, which devoted and satisfied teachers give about their choice for selecting teaching profession is: it is incumbent upon them, morally and socially, to transmit their learning to the new generation to prepare them for the momentous tasks of national progress, social uplift and personal fulfilment. They have a feeling of

67 pride on being artists who shape souls and rule over the minds. They enjoy themselves being teachers. Still, there is another group who responds in neutral, go with the wind manner and feel that they are earning from this profession to run their livelihood and that is enough. While there is a third group of frustrated teachers; who feel themselves misfit being teachers. They curse their fate and hate the system; which forced them to become a teacher. There are other minority groups quoting a wide variety of diverse reasons for selecting this profession as a career. These reasons are classified into 5 broad categories, based on responses received in the questionnaire filled by the teachers.

Table 6 Teachers’ Responses Regarding Reasons for Choosing Teaching as a Profession (Teachers’ Questionnaire)

Teachers’ Opinion S. No Characteristics Yes (%) No (%) Total (%) A Patriotic 37 63 100 B Academic 44 56 100 C Emulative 6 94 100 D Professional 31 69 100 E Others 5 95 100 N = 115

Findings of table 6 show that 37% of the teachers preferred the profession of teaching on to other professions to serve the nation, which is a healthy sign in spite of doubts on the typical nature of the question. A considerable ratio of 44% among teachers who chose the profession due to their interest in academic attitude, i.e. reading, writing and teaching work which shows the maturity and sensibility of the certain age group of adults in the contextual system of education. A very small ratio of merely

6% of teachers chose the profession inspired by their teachers. This indicates that legendary teachers are now a dying breed. Changing demands of society and gradual

68 degradation of the social status of a teacher are the reasons for most of young aspirants opting for another catchy profession other than teaching.

A significant ratio of 31% teachers has adopted teaching as a profession only because they did not have any other choice to make which could be one of the leading reasons of rapidly declining standard of education.

A small percentage (5%) of teachers chose this profession for other reasons, other than those discussed above. The other reasons to choose teaching as a profession can be Economical Factors, Psychological Factors and Social Factors.

In Pakistan, it is observed that the people adopt teaching profession because it provides them a regular wage with job security and flexible working hours.

Huavighurst and Rodgers (2009) support the conclusion that for still others, teaching may primarily be an occupation that offers short working hours, long vacations and long-term security.

So far as psychological factors are concerned; individuals have different traits, i.e. some conscious and some subconscious psychological needs, which work in unison for a person to select teaching as his profession. Some of these reasons are strong liking for children or attachment to one’s own teacher or favorite subject whose teaching could be a source of joy for that individual.

Social Factors may include the influence of parents or other family members, who are at present working as a teacher, were teachers, or associated with the teaching profession in the recent past. Accidents, sickness or disability that prevents a person to choose other professions requiring physical movement and hard labor may also force somebody to choose to work as a teacher. It is worth mentioning that in

Pakistan, a special quota of 2% of total jobs is reserved for the disabled persons.

Many of these persons prefer to adopt teaching as a profession. Unfortunately but

69 generally no proper and transparent system of recruitment has been noticed to provide them job with the government.

4.1.1.4. Professional Capability of Teacher

The teaching is an art of systematic presentation of facts, ideas, skills, and techniques to students. In past or present, the advanced societies of the world that made substantial advances in knowledge and government, are those in which specially designated people assumed responsibility for educating the young. Aristotle quoted by

Graybiel (2008), “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” Thus the teachers are regarded and valued by the society if they perform and demonstrate and like great teachers.

Rightly said that:

“The teacher must have the energy of a harnessed volcano, the

efficiency of an adding machine, the memory of an elephant, the

understanding of a psychiatrist, the wisdom of Solomon, the tenacity of

a spider, the patience of a turtle trying to cross the highway inrush-

hour traffic, the decisiveness of a general, the diplomacy of an

ambassador, the financial acumen of a stocks and bonds wizard, and

finally to always remember that teachers teach not by words but

mostly by precept and example” (Junge 2008).

So, in addition to being all of the above, teachers must always remember that they are the eyes and ears of society and that whatever they do, the difference between duty hours and off duty hours is relative. They have to exhibit not only professional competencies and skills, but also social responsibilities as role models of society.

Professional competence of different aspects of teachers’ capabilities were assessed based on responses to the questionnaires received from teachers, parents and students.

70 Table 7 Percentage of Government Teachers According to their Age and Sex (Teachers’ Questionnaire)

Sex S. No Teachers’ Age (Years) Total (%) Male (%) Female (%) 1 Overall 65 35 100 2 Less than 30 years. 02 01 03 3 Between 30 to 40 years 18 10 28 4 Between 41 to 50 years 15 14 39 5 Above 50 years 14 16 30 N = 115

Table-7 show that the majority of the teachers working in government secondary schools of Karachi are older above 30 years in age, which might be due to the ban on new appointments of teachers since 1994 to 2006. One of the reasons for declining the standard of education in such schools could be absence of fresh blood with energy and latest teaching contents and appropriate skills.

Table 8 (i) Educational Qualification of the Teachers (Teachers’ Questionnaire)

Educational Qualifications Percentage B.Sc. 94% M.Sc. 9% M.A. 17% Others 5% N = 115

Table 8 (ii) Professional Qualification of the Teachers (Teachers’ Questionnaire)

Professional Qualification Percentage B.Ed. 83% M.Ed. 14% Untrained 3% N = 115

Table 8 (iii) Leading Cadres of the Teachers (Teachers’ Questionnaire)

Cadre Percentage

71 Junior School Teachers B-9 2% Junior School Teachers B-9 16% High School Teacher (B-15/16) 45% High School Teacher (B-17) 17% Others 20% N = 115

Table 8 (i) shows that a majority of teachers participated in the study is science graduates while only 17% are having a degree in Arts. This bias has resulted from the fact that questionnaires were mainly served to the senior science teachers. Nearly all the teachers are trained and well qualified, but as it has been mentioned earlier that in spite of holding high degrees the quality of knowledge and skill levels of most of these teachers are very low. Correctly mentioned by Bhatti et al. (2008), “the state of secondary education is generally poor”. Another reason for the poor quality of science education is non-availability of laboratories and physical resources.

Table 9 (i) Checking Homework in School (Teachers’ Questionnaire)

Frequency of Homework Checking Percentage Daily basis 10% Weekly basis 20% Monthly basis 45% Rarely 25% N = 115

Table 9 (ii) Checking Homework in School (Students’ Questionnaire)

Frequency of Homework Checking Percentage Daily basis 13% Seldom Check 32% Just check hastily 55% N = 115

Table 9 (iii) Checking Homework in School (Parents’ Questionnaire)

Frequency of Homework Checking Percentage

72 Complete Correction 13% Teachers’ signature 32% To a certain extent 39% No correction at all 20% N = 115

Table 9 (i) demonstrates that the teachers themselves admit that they don’t check the homework on a regular basis. Students corroborate the fact; 32% of students agree that teachers seldom check their homework, while 52% of students say that teachers check homework hastily that is without going in details. This results in a negative impact onto students. Finally, the parents disclose that only 13% of the teachers make corrections to the homework while only 32% of them bother to sign it. The findings establish sound reasons for the low standard of education in govt. schools. i. Findings on Course Completion and other Related Issues

It has been reported by the students that at least 20% of teachers fail to complete their prescribed course of study, due to various reasons. These reasons are disturbance in city, local holidays, vacations, weather, strikes, frequent leaves of teachers, irregularity and lack of punctuality by students and teachers, ill behavior of students, emergency in city, educational functions, sports activities and local politics etc. In addition to this, since due to the specific social background, the aptitude and academic achievement potential of students is low thus 31% of teachers’ advice students to study manuals, guides and solved paper before and after teaching.

A few remedies to the above problems can be: the expulsion of habitual offenders from school, creation of a wholesome atmosphere both in school and outside that is conducive to good education, removal of reliance on defective guides and imparting of proper education, effective and practical discouragement of teachers from working in coaching centre or engaging in private tuition centres and giving authority to the

73 teachers to deal with disobedient pupils etc. Most of these critical factors can be addressed through effective planning and proper governmental policy intervention.

Table 10 Giving of Tests in Schools

Frequency of Test Giving Percentage Once in a month 04% Twice in a year 74% Once in a year 10% Never 12% N = 115

Effective teaching without timely and regular evaluation fails to convey desired knowledge to the student and does not leave lasting effects. Table -10 indicates that only 74% of teachers give the tests twice in a year, which is one of the main reasons of declining standard of education in government secondary schools of Karachi.

Table 11 Inspection in Schools

Frequency of Inspection Percentage Regularly and time bound 2% Often (hastily) 8% Sometimes 29% Never 61% N = 115

Inspection and monitoring are key components of a successful system. Unfortunately, after the devolution of power plan (local government system); a very critical and complex situations have occurred. It is due to the tug of war between the district and provincial government (DOID-ADB 2006), lack of resources, insufficiency of able officers, merger of six administrative districts into one, lack of required skills, lack of command, control and authority, ad-hocism, indecisiveness and so many other reasons; the activities of inspection and monitoring have almost stopped. Table-11 shows the same trend, according to which 61% teachers indicate that no inspection is carried out in their schools. It is also worth mentioning that even regular visits and

74 inspections do not achieve required productivity, improvement and output. The main reason is the lack of required leadership, disorganized state and rampant corruption in government. Inspectors often engage in blackmailing of the school teachers and staff to mint money. Many such complaints were received from the sample schools.

Table 12 Students’ Satisfaction with their Teachers’ Performance (Parents’ Questionnaires)

Are you satisfied with the teachers’ performance? Percentage Yes 31% No 36% To a Certain Extent. 33% N = 115 Table 13 Devotion of Dedicated Teachers (Parents’ Questionnaires)

Do you think there is… Percentage No Devotion 51% Slight Devotion 19% Average Devotion 20% Full Devotion 10% N = 115

Table-12 and Table-13 show two more factors proving the decline in standard of education where the parents responded that only 31% of students are satisfied with their teachers’ academic performance while only 10% of the parents believed that the teachers are devoted to their profession. The response, though an ultimate proof of declining of system and teachers’ poor performance, but it is thought provoking as well. The reasons for the fault at the part of teachers have already been discussed in detail.

Table 14 Teachers’ Aptitude of Writing Articles/ Research Work/ Textbook Writing

Do you write articles on educational issues? Percentage Yes 1% Sometimes 2% Never 97%

75 N = 115

Table-14 is given a grave look of the standard of teachers, their interests and the role of concerned agencies. It is vivid that neither the teachers themselves take any interest in writing articles or do research work nor they are motivated or pushed to involve any such work. It is hard to develop a healthy educational system without involving the teachers themselves. As today’s teacher is not associated with creativity and literary work, his role in the progress of the profession and development of education standards is minimal leading to decline of overall quality of education in government schools and deterioration of the educational environment.

Table 15 Teachers’ Self-Assessment

Feature Yes No Percentage Lack of ability 31% 69% 100% Lack of interest 41% 59% 100% Weak academic Standard 58% 42% 100% Interest in tuition 61% 39% 100% Disliking of Job 71% 29% 100% N = 115

Table 16 Parents’ Review of Teachers

Feature Yes No Percentage Lack of ability 71% 29% 100% Lack of interest 61% 39% 100% Weak academic standard 71% 29% 100% Interest in tuition 81% 19% 100% Disliking of Job 24% 76% 100% Satisfied with government Teachers 35% 65% 100% To a certain extent satisfied with their teaching 40% 60% N = 115

In Table-15 gives the self-assessment of teachers working in government secondary schools in Karachi, concerning diverse but very important pedagogical factors. In

76 Table-16 displays independent assessment of parents of same pedagogical factors in addition to degree of their satisfaction. According to the teachers, themselves a ratio of more than 50% admitted that the teachers dislike their jobs, take interest in tuition and having low academic standard. On the other hand the parents went to the extreme negative towards the government teachers. They agreed with teachers and added that a reasonable majority of teachers lack the ability and interest as well. Only 35% of the parents were found satisfied, while only 40% were satisfied with the teaching of the teachers to a certain extent.

These horrible findings are a big challenge for the government regarding their selection and monitoring system. It is not hidden that recruitment of teachers on a purely political basis is the sole reason for the situation. Unfortunately, even a simple soldier is recruited through strict criteria of physical, medical, academic and character record, but the nation builders are recruited by compromising the merit based on various interests.

Table 17 Students’ Opinion on their Teachers’ Academic and Ethical characteristics

Feature Yes No Teach with interest 57% 43% Permit to ask questions 31% 69% Dictates notes 58% 42% Teach orally 63% 37% Insufficient teachers 61% 39% Academically Weak 59% 49% Ethically Weak 41% 59% Responsibility 33% 67% Private Coaching 61% 39% N = 115

Table -17 highlights that 58% and 63% of teachers dictates notes and teach orally.

According to them not only the number of teachers is insufficient and even the available ones are academically weak. A healthy ratio of 41%, 33% and 61% believes that the teachers are ethically weak, they are not responsible and support private

77 coaching. The findings are nothing but the facts clearly leading to collapse of the public education system, resulting in obliteration of nation at various fronts similar to the fission chain reaction.

The findings also tell that a considerable number of teachers do not teach properly.

There is no sign of devotion in their teaching and they are incapable of using modern teaching techniques and teaching aids. Their behavior, activities and traits do not come up to required ethical standards. They seem to be more interested in private coaching for monetary benefits etc.

4.1.1.5 Teacher-Student Relationship

The teacher-student relationship is the fundamental association in any educational system. The relation creates healthy psychological effects on students and is an additional characteristic of an ideal teacher. In order to determine the status of the relationship between teachers and students; several questions were included in the questionnaires given to teachers, parents and students. The findings are as summarized below.

Table 18 Students’ Opinion about Teachers’ Teaching

Degree of Satisfaction Percentage Fully satisfied 13% Satisfied to an extent 34% Slightly satisfied 30 Not satisfied 23% N = 115 100%

As shown in Table -18, only 13% of students are fully satisfied with their teachers,

34% of students are satisfied to a certain extent, while 30% are slightly and 23% are not satisfied with their teachers at all. These drawbacks can only be eradicated by fulfilling shortcomings pertaining to teaching with the help of proper guidance,

78 instruction and frequent inspection. According to Kyriacou (2008), the satisfaction of students with their schoolteachers is based on the following contextual variables:

a. Teachers’ characteristics, e.g. age, ability, values, personality and social class.

b. Pupils characteristics, e.g. age, ability, values, personality and social class.

c. Class characteristics, e.g. size, range of ability and social class mix.

d. School characteristics, e.g. size, building, facilities, ethos, disciplinary policy,

the proportion of high ability intake.

e. Community characteristics, e.g. affluence, population, density and geographical location.

Table 19 Teachers’ Individual Attention towards Students

Degree of Attention Percentage Yes 15% To a certain extent 63% Small extent 9% No 13% N = 115 100%

As shown in Table-19, only 15% of teachers can pay requisite individual attention towards their pupils, 63% of school teachers can pay individual attention towards students to a certain extent, 9% of teachers can pay attention to their pupils to a very small extent, while 13% disclose that they cannot pay individual attention as the class is oversized or there are no common rooms or meeting places for such interaction in the school or school lack teaching environment or other facilities. The problems can be overcome with adequate teacher-student ratio and providing teachers with student teacher meeting room facilities.

79 Table 20 Students’ Disclosure of their Problems to their Teachers

Degree of Attention Percentage Frequent 30% Rarely or None 47% Not at all 23% N = 115 100%

As indicated by Table-20 only 30% of students frequently discuss their problems with their teachers. In 47% cases, they hesitate to do so while, 23% of students never discuss their problems with the teachers. Kyriacou (2008) says these deficiencies can only be removed by a viable student teacher relationship. As recommended above, a set time for student counselling must be included in the timetable.

Table 21 Teachers’ Satisfaction with the Academic Standard of Students

Degree of satisfaction Percentage Fully satisfied 7% To a certain extent 21% Slightly satisfied 30% Not satisfied 42% N = 115 100%

Table- 21 show that teachers themselves are not satisfied with the academic standard of their students. Only 7% seem fully satisfied while 30% are partially satisfied and

42% are either slightly satisfied or not satisfied at all. The conditions show that due to specific socioeconomic conditions, family background, parents’ attitude and individual abilities, etc. students are not up to the requirement to produce good results. i. Teacher’s Relationship with Parents

Research shows that one of the most important factors that affect a child's performance in school is parental involvement. All too often, parents assume that just sending their children to school and looking at their report cards is enough. It has been found as well that most of the lower-lower class parents do not bother to meet

80 teachers. Hence in such cases it is the responsibility of the school to effectively involve parents. Teachers should communicate through the head of the institution to parents about academic shortcomings of their children and their behavioral problems if any. According to data received in response to the questionnaires, teachers’ correspond to 17% of parents approximately. This figure is dismally low.

Although the education department has tried to promote and provide opportunities for developing effective Parent-Teacher relationship through the constitution of “Parents-

Teachers’ Associations” or “School Management Committees” yet due to socioeconomic background of the parents, corruption in the system, flawed planning and mismanagement fruitful results are not achieved so far. The press in connection with misappropriation of Parents Teachers’ Association/ School Management

Committee (PTA/SMC) funds has reported widespread corruptions and numbers of the officers / officials have been suspended from their services due to this. In order to promote the contextual relations following recommendations are given:

a. Parent-Teacher meetings should be held at least twice during the academic

session to discuss children’s progress, any shortcoming observed and inviting

suggestion for improvements.

b. Detailed result reports should be mailed to parents.

c. Parents should be encouraged to participate in school activities actively. It is

not enough for parents to attend school events. Parents should be involved in

event organization also.

d. Initiate a family literacy program for those parents who do not have the

adequate educational background.

81 e. Government should regularly launch awareness programs through media to

inform parents about the benefits of their effective involvement in school

events for educational development of their children. ii. Functions of Punishment

Schools generally employ a hierarchy of punishments for infractions of rules. These punishments vary from school to school and differ in accordance with school type, e.g.: a boarding school, day school, etc. The hierarchy is generally reasonably consistent. These punishments include line, detention, corporal punishment, report, exclusion, suspension, including loss of privileges, additional homework, chores, being positioned at the front of the class and standing in the corner. Among all of these punishments, corporal punishment is the most common form, in government schools. This use of stick in schools is also a controversial issue being debated in press, media and other discussion forums.

In the developed world, corporal punishment is no more exercised. It has been replaced with other disciplinary methods. Modern judiciaries often favor fines or incarceration, whilst modern school discipline generally avoids physical correction altogether. Although corporal punishment is still used in many schools, it has been banned in seventeen countries. There has been much dispute in recent years over where the line should be drawn between corporal punishment and torture, or whether a line should indeed be drawn at all.

In spite of the importance of “punishment” as discussed below by several researchers to keep students on the right path, not all the schools enforce this principle. The outcome of such loose discipline is the wasting of many academic years of the students. Due to outlaw conditions (firing incidents, rapes, etc.) in the schools of the

82 United States now even are spanked as a form of punishment is coming back into fashion (Hurlock:2009).

According to Grause et al., (2007), punishment deters the repetition of socially undesirable acts. Once children discover that certain acts invariably lead to punishment. They usually refrain from carrying out those acts. The second function of punishment is education. Before children can understand the rules, they can learn that certain acts are right and others are wrong by being punished for carrying out wrong acts. As described by Kurtines et al. (2007) and Morris et al. (2009).

Motivation to avoid socially disapproved behavior is the third function punishment.

Recognition of the possible consequences of a wrong act is essential to motivate avoidance of such an act. When children are intellectually able to weigh alternative acts and the consequences associated with each, they must learn to decide for themselves whether a wrong at is worth its price. If they decide it is not, they are motivated to abstain from such an act.

4.1.2 Facilities Available in Schools

Facilities in the schools directly affect the learning process. Better facilities motivate the students, who consider these as a status symbol. In most cases, school facilities are a good indicator of standard of education in that institution. In the seventies and eighties government secondary schools were having capacity problems. But due to the gradual decline of the educational standard of these institutes and increase in number of private colleges have resulted in drastic reduction of student enrolment in government secondary schools of Karachi. Consequently, the onetime problem of space versus students has almost vanished.

Today there are a few schools where the number of teachers exceeds the total number of enrolled students (In one school study found 40 teachers and only 10 enrolled

83 students). Yet, there are still some schools where handfuls of teachers available for hundreds of students. This unbalance is a result of mismanagement and the influence of external pressure upon educational managers. Due to loopholes in administrative setup, some influential teachers get themselves transferred to the schools where there is practically no work due to a very small number of students.

This has led to a situation where there are schools with teachers sitting idle year round with one hand and on the other hand, students are suffering due to non-availability of teachers at other places. In spite of frequent requests by the heads of overloaded schools such situation continues to persist due to official corruption combined with the political pressures on the authorities. No wonder educational standards are declining.

School Facilities are divided into two broad categories, i.e.: Basic Facilities for

Students and Academic Facilities.

4.1.2.1 Basic Facilities for Students

The basic unit of a school building is the classroom, where the act of instruction takes place. Other facilities found in schools are: a cafeteria(Commons) or canteen where students eat lunch, an athletic field, playground, gym, and track for sports or physical education, a library where students check out books, an auditorium where student theatrical or musical productions can be staged and where all-school events such as assemblies are held, an office where the administrative work of the school is done, , specialist classrooms including laboratories for science education and computer laboratories for developing proficiency in use of computer etc. Unfortunately, despite tall claims, actual conditions of government schools range from very poor to miserable.

84 Table 22 Facilities Available in Schools

Facilities Yes No Boundary Wall 57% 43% Clean and airy class rooms 31% 69% Appropriate Blackboards 58% 42% Spacious rooms. 63% 37% Fans. 22% 78% Tidy and clean Toilets 19% 81% Drinking of Water 41% 59% Sweeper 29% 71% Clean environment 41% 59% Proper building with adequate 24% 76% condition First aid kit 11% 89% Sports goods 43% 57% Transport arrangement 01% 99% Equipped Science Computer Labs 23% 77% Functional Library 12% 88% Proper Play Grounds or play area 23% 77% Telephone 19% 81% Electricity 33% 67% Gas 19% 81% N = 115

Table- 22 shows the bitter responses on the questionnaires according to which only

57% of schools are having adequate boundary walls but only 31% of the classrooms are clean and airy. It shows that 63% believe that rooms are spacious but only 58% are available with good black boards i.e. the basic tool of teaching is absent from almost half of the classrooms. Fans are available in 22% of schools only. Only 19% of schools have tidy and clean toilets. 71% of schools are without sweepers. Only

24% respondents say that the school building is properly maintained. This may be due to lack of planning and coordination between concerned agencies (Education department and Education Works). The ratio of utility services of electricity, gas and are telephone is 33%, 19% and 19% only. It is worth mentioning that a ratio 12% and

23% show that the functional libraries and science/computer labs are available. Sports and recreational facilities are lowered up to 23%. Transport facilities are almost

85 absent in government schools because only 1% respondents have given positive nod.

Most notably the alarming fact is that only 11% of the schools are having a first aid kit. Hence, in case of an accident or emergency there is no aid to ailing or injured students.

According to the government related data for whole Karachi, based upon Annual

Census 2011-2012 is at Appendix I. Even the authenticity of the data has been suspicious due to the government source yet it also shows the same deteriorating conditions of education in government secondary schools. Another point, which is very important, is that these facilities have only been reported in the context of their availability and with their present status.

The poor facilities and present conditions of schools is not a hidden truth, but the print and electronic media are continuously reporting and criticizing over the conditions.

Though the government has claimed of spending heavy amounts on betterment of education, yet the real outlook is quite poor. No vivid improvement of physical infrastructure and the availability of facilities in the schools have been observed during the past decade.

Educational, recreational and co-curricular activities play a vital role in the formation of positive, healthy and socially interactive personality. However, Table 23, below paints a very grave and thought provoking picture according to which parents responded that there are acute deficiencies in government schools with reference to co-curricular activities. Activities in sports are merely 11%, cultural activities and educational trips are merely 3% and 7% respectively. Boy scouting helps a lot to prepare a growing boy to face the hardships of life and to face them adequately, but they are nominal as claimed to be 5%. Nearly no medical check-up facilities are available while 99% reported that no newsletter is issued by the school.

86 Table 23 Educational, Recreational and Co-curricular Activities in Schools (Parents’ Questionnaire)

Activities Yes No Games 11% 89% Cultural 03% 97% Boy Scouts 05% 95% Newsletter 01% 99% Excursion and Educational Trip 17% 83% Medical Check-ups 01% 99% Parents Day 05% 95% Contacts with parents 11% 89% Functions and cultural activities 22% 78% Collective social campaigns 13% 87% Trainings for social adjustment 09% 91% N = 115 Formal training for social adjustment, collective social campaigns (for cleaning and other such improvement) are hardly initiated. There might be some justification by the school administration and educational officers, but the ground reality is that such a situation is clearly depicting the role of the government and school administration apathy and lethargy. No wonder standard of education in government schools of

Karachi is dismally poor.

4.1.2.2 Academic Facilities

Table 24 Academic Facilities in Schools (Students Questionnaire)

Activities Available Not Available Proper Library 2% 98% Science Laboratory 60% 40% Sufficient Apparatus and chemical 12% 88% Audio-Visual Aids 05% 95% Educational Trips 02% 98% Experts to deliver lectures 00% 100% Awards/Certificates 05% 95% Guests or dignitaries 02% 98% Organize recreational picnics 03% 97% Games arrangement in school 13% 87% School Management Committees 89% 11% Inspections 02% 98% Efficient Teachers 60% 40% Satisfactory cleanliness of schools 21% 79% N = 115

87 Table 25 Teachers’ Care of Students in Addition to Teaching (Students Questionnaire)

Intensive and Excessive Care 21% Average care 35% Uncaring 44% N= 115 100%

Table-24 and Table-25 clearly show scarcity of academic facilities and negative attitude of teachers towards students. Due to devolution plan of powers plan 2000 resulting in lack of coordination among various offices has adversely affected supervision of the schools. The academic facilities, hence, are going from bad to worse. Only 2% of schools have the proper libraries while 60% of schools have science laboratories but without adequate apparatus and chemicals. 88% of schools have the insufficient laboratory equipment and chemicals.

There are many libraries without books. No new books are purchased due to non- availability of funds. Old books are worn out or torn out. Many books get stolen or lost due to mismanagement. Similarly, old laboratories are there, but there are no funds to purchase consumables. Apparatuses in many laboratories are missing, outdated, or faulty. Use of Audio Visual-aids are pretty low up to 5%, while educational trips, guests, expert speakers, recreational activities and inspection are almost non extant i.e. 2%, 0%, 2%, 3% and 2% respectively. This situation is a result of insufficient funds, lack of management and government officers’ interest, corruption and absence of professionalism in teachers.

Though school management committees are available in whooping 89% of schools due to departmental instructions and for grant in aid purposes; yet their effective functioning is doubtful. 79% of schools are unclean and dirty and lack proper

88 sanitation, due to multiple schooling in one campus and non-availability of sweepers due to prolonged ban on appointments. On one hand the 60% of the teachers were found efficient while on the other hand 21% teachers show intensive and excessive care. In addition to classroom education, physical education also plays a vital role in the development of an individual. It is important that physical education be incorporated along with a student’s curriculum since a healthy body possesses a healthy mind. Unfortunately, only 13% schools have facilities for games and other such activities. Reduced and awkward school timings, lack of funds, deficiency of trained teachers, lack of adequate timings, lack of interest by the government departments, parents’ and negative community attitude towards sports and games are the major factors behind this low ratio.

It is observed that the students and their parents believe that sports and other such activities are merely wastage of time and a luxury that can only be afforded by the upper class. In the contextual view the majority of the teachers' support that opinion thus students concentrate on either study or learning of a skill in their leisure time to generate additional income for their cash starved family. Lack of these healthy activities leads the students towards unhealthy activities in an unethical environment like snooker at the street corner, video games, internet café shops, smoking, chewing paan or gutka (Indian origin products used with smokeless tobacco) etc., which ultimately pushes them towards unlawful activities driving them away from becoming a productive member of civil society.

The expenses of a government school are met by two means, i.e. by annual contingency budget disbursed by the District Office Education; which is usually too meager and quite late to serve its purposes while the other one is through by raising private funds for students. Until June 2006 students studying in public schools didn’t

89 have to pay tuition fees as per government decision to increase literacy. However, the school administration was charging the students an amount of Rs. 114/- per annum in the heads of students’ fund, Games fund and Development Fund.

This money was being used by school administration to meet with the essential operational expenses of the school. In 2006 the Government announced new educational policy and advised all school heads not to charge students any fees in any head. According to the new policy, each school was to get an amount of Rs. 210/- per student from School Management Committee funds. Unfortunately, due to inordinate delays and corruption in the distribution and use of School Management Committee

(SMC) funds caused further gradual destruction of public school infrastructure that forced the Government to revise the SMC funds policy.

According to present policy, each secondary school without caring its enrolment and need, was given Rs. 1,00,000/- which is quite unjustified as some of the schools are too big with many problems to address within this amount while some are too small for which this money seems quite big. In a mega city like Karachi where the rates of goods and services are at quite higher sides, maintaining and running a secondary school within Rs. 1,00,000/- per annum seems a fun. Though the Government has revisited its policy and tried to rationalize the grant yet the new grant has also remained little unjustified enough to make both ends meet.

In addition, many secondary school buildings were constructed many decades ago, when the population was low and there was little road traffic. Over the years, not only these buildings have become dilapidated but also growing population has resulted in encroachments, heavy traffic and degraded air quality due to vehicular emissions, high noise levels and filthy streets full of garbage. This unhealthy and unfriendly environment of these school buildings depresses the students and teachers alike and

90 the results poor productivity leading to degradation of academic and scholastic standards of education being imparted.

Non availability of required funds, late release of meagre budgetary allocations, misappropriation of funds, lack of accountability, indifferent attitude of teachers, lack of interest by all the stakeholders, lack of coordination and absence of proper supervision by the officers of the department, corruption, nepotism, mismanagement and other so many other factors work in unison resulting in alarmingly deteriorating standard of education in secondary schools. Most of the devastating factors causing maladministration are due to the lack of dynamic leadership at every level of organizational hierarchy that is owing to non-observance of the policy of recruitment on a merit basis by the government.

4.1.3 System of Examinations and Related Malpractice

The system of examinations and related irregularities are described below.

4.1.3.1 Aim and Purpose of Examination

Evaluation is essentially an integral part of instruction. A test is a systematic procedure for observing person’s behavior and describing it on a numerical scale; allowing categorization of subjects under evaluation. It is a measuring instrument designed to measure scientifically a sample of behavior in specific conditions.

Schools Tests and Examination: School tests and home examinations play an important role in the academic improvement of students. School monthly test if properly handled, creates a significant competitive spirit among students. In good institutions, it is the tradition that the subject teacher conducts a monthly test individually even if time and date is not followed by the school administration. Half- yearly and annual examinations should be arranged by the school administration.

91 In most of the schools of depressed localities, beneficial aspects of monthly testing are not achieved and remedial measures are not followed, i.e. there is repetition of general mistakes committed by students. No information is usually sent to parents about their children’s progress or weakness in subjects. Monthly tests and a yearly evaluation system should be introduced at the secondary level to eradicate malpractices in the examination.

4.1.3.2 Internal Examinations

Table 26 Trends of Giving Simple Subject Oriented Testing

Once Every Month 5% Twice In a Year 70% Once In a Year 10% Never In a Year 15% N= 115 100%

Table -26 shows that in government secondary schools of Karachi; the trend of monthly testing is only given by 5% of teachers. Though there is a ratio of 70% showing that the subject-oriented tests are conducted at least twice in a year, yet there are 15% of schools where the tests are not conducted at all. The utility of half-yearly or yearly internal examinations is waning. Mostly the examination papers for these tests are prepared by the local school and most probably by the same teacher who teaches the subject. It is said that prior to the said examination the concerned subject teacher reveals 10 or 15 questions as guess paper and the students are asked to learn them to pass. Cheating and other malpractices are common even from grade VI to

VIII due to societal and professional attitudes of the stakeholders. Organized malpractices during examination is common that is why the result of most of the schools up to elementary level usually recorded in the range of 90% to 100% drops drastically during the external examination of the board.

92 4.1.3.3 External Examinations

For the grade IX and X an external examination is conducted by the Board of

Secondary Education Karachi. Numerous malpractices have been observed frequently, during these examinations at every level. There are regular reports that examination centers are sold or fixed on unhealthy criteria with the collusion of

Secondary School Board’s officials. In many cases the teachers of the same schoolwork as invigilators and the head of the school is appointed as internal superintendent of examinations. As rates of remuneration paid to invigilators are much less in comparison to enticement for engaging in malpractices and there is practically no accountability or indictment of those few found guilty; the malpractices in an examination process continue unabated.

If a government school is chosen as the examination center for the government school students then results fall in between 70% to 90%, while when a reputable private school (Free from malpractices) is chosen as the examination center then the result fluctuates from 30% to 40%. Externalization of examinations has pushed students, parents and even teachers to infiltrating the secrecy of the examining bodies and exercising influence to obtain higher marks by hook or crook. These wide spread malpractices have corrupted the examination system. The data given in Table-27 indicate students’ opinion about themselves focusing on cheating and malpractices. A significant majority of the students admits that trends of cheating and malpractice is common among them while only a 17% believe that cheating practice is from 01% to

25%.

93 Table 27 Students’ Own Opinion on Cheating and Other Malpractices During Examinations Process

Ratio of students those give their views Percentage of Students Who Cheat on cheating 35% 100% to 76% 26% 75% to 51% 22% 50% to 26% 17% 25% to 01% N= 115

4.1.3.4 Purpose of Public Examination

The main purposes of public examinations is the selection of suitable candidates for admissions in higher grades (Seats in Higher Secondary Schools/ Colleges are limited in number) and employment. The qualifying student gets a certificate of achievement.

The additional functions include: Control of the curriculum and its delivery in schools; Motivation of schools, teachers and students; Monitoring of educational standards; Reporting on school effectiveness.

The characteristics of a good examination system may be fit for purpose, equity, integrity and public confidence, efficiency and cost effectiveness, transparency, beneficial for classroom, etc. Unfortunately, the present public examination system lacks the above qualities and has become a question mark with reference to its reliability.

The first external public examination for the secondary school students is held under examination Board for apparently for the purpose of promotion, selection and certification and indicates the extent to which learners have covered a prescribed syllabus. The examinations under these Boards have been debated in the following perspective.

94 4.1.3.5 Mode and Some Reasons for Malpractices

It is believed that the public examination system in Pakistan has failed to achieve its purpose properly. There are sometimes the questions of low credibility and reputation of this system. Common malpractices in secondary school of Karachi are: leakage of examination papers, guess test preparation, impersonation, external assistance, and smuggling of foreign materials, copying, collusion, intimidation and substitution of scripts, improper assignments, ghost centers, marker/clerical malpractices and award of manipulating, forged and bogus degrees.

Though there are numerous interrelated, direct and indirect reasons for these malpractices consequent on age long negative trend of social chemistry yet a few of them are: high stakes of the exam, teacher and school status, personal factors: quota systems, inadequate school facilities, poorly performing teachers, inadequacies in the public examination, inadequate government, location of examination centres, widespread of technology, low salary levels, frequent political disturbances, political and pressure groups’ interference and involvement of specific mafia which depends upon earning monetary benefits during the examinations.

Table 28 Students’ Opinion about Means/ Source of Cheating

Nature Percentage With the help of teachers 38% With the help of parents and other family members 20% With the help of contingent staff 12% Other means including technology and influence 25% No cheating 5% N= 115

Sorrowfully, Table -28 shows that teachers, parents and contingent staff are mainly involved in supporting the students in cheating, i.e. 38%, 20% and 12%, respectively,

95 while according to the students 25% of the students involved in cheating, make the use of technology or other resources of influence, including checker, head examiner and the board’s official etc. The sanctity of evaluation of answer books by incompetent and irresponsible teachers is another frightful aspect worth noticing. If the teachers and parents, themselves start believing in wrong tactics, then who would come to save this system from ultimate destruction.

4.1.3.6 Violence in Examination

For the last two couples of decades; violence in the examination has reportedly been increased. Deaths and killings, kidnapping and torture, sophisticated weapons, pitched battles and hooliganism dominate the academic scene in Karachi. Intermittent violence casts long, evil shadows on the overall atmosphere in the educational institutions. It is easy to blame the students for indulging in unfair means and practices in examinations, but school administration is equally responsible for this state of affairs as it is their duty to ensure maintenance of discipline in schools, enforcement of law and order. The examining authorities and educational planners who perform the annual ritual of holding new examinations within the framework of an anachronistic system are also responsible.

4.1.3.7 Examination Dysfunction

Overemphasis on examinations and classification of students into divisions and grades has, in fact, overshadowed the objectives of education (Rehmani 2007).

Consequently, instead of serving as a tool for promoting standard of education and ensuring proper teaching in schools for improving students’ performance; passing an examination has become an end itself. Examination results have become visa free entry into professional colleges and the acquisition of lucrative jobs. Consequently,

96 students and parents alike use all fair and unfair means to pass the examination with better grades.

4.1.3.8 Counter Measures for Malpractices

Though there are appropriate, legal, well defined and widely circulated counter measures available to the Board of Secondary Education Karachi and local administration, but due to lack lustre, half-hearted implementation of these measures, malpractices during the examination have so far not been effectively curbed. It is due to formation of curved trends in culture that prevents to take effective steps against the culprits. It is the responsibility of public representatives to ensure that no one be permitted to compromise on education oriented malpractices and corruption at any cost. The government may also use mass media to create awareness among the people that destruction of education is the destruction of the nation itself.

4.1.3.9 Matriculation Examination Results under Board of Secondary Education of Karachi

According to AEPM Educational Statistics (2005) summarized data from 1993 to

2005 reflects an increase in pass percentage from 47% (1993) to 59% (2005). It is observed that the pass percentages of Sindh Boards’ students are much higher than the national average (59%) e.g. Karachi (76%), Mirpur Khas (88%), Hyderabad (92%),

Sukkur (90%) and Larkana (91%). Comparing the board-wise performance, the performance of students belonging to Sindh invites attention regarding the uniformity of standard, as it cannot be supported by the achievement indicators. The facts show that the girls are doing better than the boys at both provincial and national levels.

Although the Secondary School Certificate (SSC-II) 2005 results do not show much difference with 74% boys were passed against a figure of 77% from girls, but big gap is there in between those boys and girls belong to public schools. Notably boys from

97 public school could achieve a ratio of merely 60% against girls who possessed 72% pass percentage. A significant difference has been observed in Table-30, where merely boys achieved lesser better grades (A, B) than girls.

Table 29 Trends SSC-II Results under BSE Karachi

Year Pass Percentage Total 1995 67% 1997 69% 1999 35% 2005 76% 2007 79% 2009 70% 2011 70%

Table 30 Board of Secondary Education Karachi Statistics of Result of S.S.C. PART-II (CLASS X) Science Annual EXAMINATION 2010-11 SEX WISE and GRADE WISE

SEX BOYS Percentage GIRLS Percentage REGISTERED 68359 53200 APPEARED 68005 99.48 52948 99.53 A 10599 15.59 11263 21.27 B 14563 21.41 11402 21.53 C 11937 17.55 6241 11.79 D 4105 6.04 1015 1.92 E 82 0.12 13 0.02 PASS without 166 0.24 71 0.13 Grade TOTAL PASS 41,452 60.95 30,005 56.67 Table 31 Comparative Performance of Public and Private Students during SSC-II Examination (Annual) 2008-09 under Board of Secondary Education Karachi (Source: AEPAM)

Public Schools Private Schools Appeared Passed Pass % Appeared Passed Pass % 34995 23591 67% 81439 67620 83%

Table 31 shows that the students of private schools did significantly better than public schools in Karachi but the same trend can be bitterly observed throughout the country

98 where the same ratio of the public schools of Lahore board was 55% against 72% of private schools. The gap in Quetta and Peshawar boards was also significant, i.e. 67% to 72% and 63% to 83%, respectively.

It would be a matter of great shocking disbelief of vigilance during examination in

Karachi that only total 42 cases of using unfair means were recorded in a Mega city like Karachi compare to a very remote and small board like Mardan with 435 cases,

331 in Kohat and even in Sindh i.e. 190 in Larkana.

Conclusion

Examinations for the public schools of Karachi; whether internal or external in nature; to a great extent have lost their prime objectives and purposefulness. Internal examinations are just to fulfil academic cosmetics and seldom provide a realistic assessment of a student. The arrangement of external examination of students belonging to government schools through board has become defective, substandard and unreliable for the public. Due to ailing reputation now even a student from these schools, having a mark sheet showing “A-I” grade is considered poor.

A new system of examination free of flaws and corruption to replace existing evaluation systems; is the need of the hour. However, it should be clearly understood that any system of examination if implemented through corrupt and crooked are ultimately fail. It is the responsibility of government to address this issue by inviting all stakeholders and evolving a transparent, dynamic and comprehensive examination system acceptable to all stakeholders.

4.2 EXTERNAL PEDAGOGICAL OR SOCIO ECONOMIC FACTORS

As home is the first school of every child, most of these factors are related to home environment for a child. The munificent home environment is most beneficial to the spread of education among its young members. Parents’ financial status, their

99 qualification, ethnic background, views on different outlooks regarding society, personal visions and other such factors considerably influence the young minds in developing stage and impact the overall learning process of children both at home and school. When a child spends more time at home in the company of his family members than the influence of home on his education is momentous. These socioeconomic factors most significantly affect levels of academic achievement of a student in schools.

Gallagher (2010) states that as we focus on developing standards and raising expectations, we need to face the “. . . An unpleasant reality that education, by itself, is a weak treatment.” He further noted that “It is clear that there are variables within the family, within the culture, and within the physical environment, plus limitations within the genetic makeup of the individual, which will have a greater influence on student achievement than our ‘improved educational program’ for that student.”

Since there is a close relationship between socioeconomic factors and social class placement, an expedient method of estimating a person’s social class position is to utilize socioeconomic facts about him, such as his occupation, his income, or his education and use of relevant data to arrive at correspondence conclusion.

Social class or status of the parents of children, studying in secondary school, may be determined with the help of a most widely-used index of social characteristics made by adding the rating from several of the socio-economic dimensions e.g. Parents’ education, Parents’ occupation and economic conditions, Facilities at home, Parents’ involvement with their children’s upbringing in addition to other status indicators like social activities enjoyed by the parents, club membership and recreational activities.

The effects of these factors were explored from through the questionnaires served students and their parents. To assess the effects of social status of parents on the

100 academic achievements of their children; statistical analysis of Board of Secondary

Education Karachi Matriculation results was carried out. The analysis clearly shows a correlation between social class of parents and academic achievement of their offspring. These factors are mostly revolve around the roles of “parents” and the

“society as described below:

4.2.1 Parent’s Educational Qualification: Due to special drive to increase mass literacy after 1973; in Pakistan, the literacy rate has significantly increased from

21.7% in 1971 to 26.20 in 1981 followed by 43.90 in 1998, which then had touched the level of 53% in 2004-5 and crept to 56.20 and around 57% in 2008 and 2009.

Similarly, in 2014, such a rate has been reflected as 63% of the population

(Wikipedia-Education in Pakistan). It is apparent that the increase in mass literacy has remained a challenge for the country and its reflection over the parents has a significant impact over the performance of the children including those who are studying in secondary schools.

The officially reported figures and the data that has been concluded through the parents’ questionnaire is given in the tables below: are figures According to the statistics out of 50.89 million labor force 3.32 million is unemployed. Out of total employed force 38% are employees, 34% are self-employed, and 27% are unpaid family helpers while only 1% are employers. As far as educational level is concerned, according to Census 1998 merely 34% of literacy rate is found within the age group

25 and above adults. The comparison of qualification in between male and female is as follows:

Table 32 (a) Level of Education at National and Provincial Level (Source PBS) [In percentage of the Total population]

Administrative Below Diploma/ Bachelor Masters Primary Middle Matric Intermediate Others Unit Primary Certificate Degree Degree Pakistan 18.30 30.14 20.90 17.29 6.56 0.41 4.38 1.58 0.44

101 Rural 22.57 34.88 20.25 14.71 4.24 0.23 1.96 0.75 0.40 Urban 14.06 25.45 21.54 19.85 8.86 0.58 6.78 2.40 0.48 Sindh 15.56 27.13 19.20 17.84 9.00 0.61 7.43 2.65 0.58 Rural 21.36 36.46 15.19 14.28 6.53 0.34 3.54 1.80 0.51 Urban 13.37 23.61 20.71 19.19 9.93 0.72 8.90 2.97 0.60

Table 32 (b) Educational Qualification of Parents (Parent’s Questionnaire)

Educational Qualifications Fathers% Mothers% Illiterate 12 35 Literate who can read Urdu 09 15 Below Matriculation 27 33 Matriculation to Intermediate 19 09 Degree 06 3 Masters 02 01 Formal Professional / 02 01 Technical Qualification Informal Professional / 14 01 Technical Qualification Others 9 02 N-115 100% 100%

The tables-32 (a) shows that there is a very small portion of population possessing a

University Degree in Pakistan. The large majority of the population consists of persons with education up to intermediate or less than that. It shows that the majority of parents are unable to assist their children in day to day homework and other educational tasks.

Rauf (2005) rightly concluded that the children hailing from a home where parents are educated have: good habits, attitudes, healthy social and cultural interests. The families of the boys studying in government schools of Karachi mostly belong to economically “lower middle or lower class”. In these sorts of families, fathers strive for the survival of their family and work in two shifts mostly. Consequently, the responsibility of childcare mostly falls upon the mothers staying at home.

The table-32 (b) shows that the majority of mothers’ of students in Government

Secondary Schools of Karachi is either illiterate or has insufficient education. This is

102 one of several leading reasons regarding poor quality of education in the students studying in Government Secondary Schools in Karachi. Table-32 (b) clearly indicates that 6% of the fathers are graduating and 2% of them are having master degrees.

While on the other hand only 3% of the mothers are graduates and 1% having higher degree also. The study finds that 48% of fathers are below matriculation, (Merely literate or illiterate); whereas 83% of the total mothers are below matriculation. It is evident that the majority of the students do not get enough educational reinforcement from their parents.

It is also worth mentioning that the results of the schools working in slums; are poorer than those which are working in better environments. Students studying in slum schools’ as a rule achieve poorer grades in the examination as compared to students studying in the schools located posh area. The pass percentage of the lowest 20 schools with reference to their results; is 4.62% only. Most of students who have passed from these schools have D grades.

Government attention is urgently needed to address this situation. Some of the measures recommended are launching of adult education centers in these areas, developing communities for assistance of poorly performing kids and establishments of free coaching centers with the help of NGO’s.

4.2.2 Parents’ Economic Conditions

Orland (2009) says, "The longer a child is in poverty, the more deleterious the effect on his or her educational growth. Furthermore, the concentration of poverty within a school can be shown to be harmful to all students in that school, whether or not an individual student comes from a poor background." Since, according to the second hypothesis, economic status of parents also has an impact on the academic achievement of their children. This hypothesis has been discussed with in light of the

103 findings of the study related to socioeconomic status of Parents vi's-à-is academic performance of their children.

Table 33 Social Status of Parents

Parents Social Class Percentage Lower Class 51% Lower Middle Class 36% Middle Class 13% Upper or Privileged Class 00% N=115 100%

Table-33 shows that 87% (51% + 36%) of the students studying in selected government secondary schools in Karachi belong to lower or lower middle class families. This is a significantly large majority of students, who belong to the working class and whose parents strive hard to meet the two ends meet and mostly live hand to mouth. Providing better education for their children is far below in their list of preferences, which include food, clothing, medicine, house rent, etc. Consequently, they are potentially incapable to do what the society generally expects from them.

Table 34 Fathers’ Source and Amount of Monthly Income (In Rs.)

Private Monthly Govt. Own Any Service/ Agriculture Total Income Service Business Other Laborer 3500-4000 5% 7% 5% 1% 3% 21.00% 4001-5000 8% 21% 10% -- -- 39.00% 5001-6000 5% 5% 5% -- -- 15.00% 6001-7000 5% 3% 3% -- -- 11.00% 7001-8000 5% 2% 3% -- -- 10.00% 8001-9001 - - 2% -- -- 2.00% 9000 and - - 2% -- -- 2.00% above Total ------N=115 28.00% 38.00% 30.00% 1.00% 3.00% 100%

Table 35 Presence of Additional Income of the Family (In Rs.)

Family Members Yes No Total

104 Mother 16% 84% 100% Brother and sister 34% 66% 100% N= 115

Table 36 Part Time Work by Students

Nature of Work Percentage Temporarily work 32% Permanently Work 24% Absolutely Not 44% N= 115 100%

Table 37 Children Help to their Father

Trends Percentage Sometimes 72% 2-4 Hours Daily 22% More than 4 Hours 6% N=115 100%

Table 38 Number of Members in Each Family

Trends Percentage 1-5 Person(s) 24% 6-10 Persons 54% 10-14 Persons 22% N=115 100%

Table 34 indicates income figures of parents of students in public secondary schools of Karachi. It is evident that most of the students studying in these schools belong to the families that are not financially sound. Though 28% of the students belong to government servants, yet their salaries indicate that they are mostly from class I-IV employees, peons, clerks or primary teachers, etc. Around 38% of the students belong to families of private employees or laborers cum daily wagers. The study indicates that monthly income of 75% of the families whose children studies in government secondary schools are between Rs. 3500/- to Rs. 6000/-. This shows that mostly

Parents belonging to low income groups or poor classes of our society admit their

105 children in government schools. The monthly income of only 2% of the families under study is Rs. 8000/- or above which is grossly insufficient to support an average family comprising of 5-6 members. Similarly, according to the Table-35 additional incomes to the family through mothers and other family members is not enough because the participation rate is low i.e. 16% and 34% respectively. The Table-36 shows that 56% of the students work, to support their families. They either work on a regular basis or learn additional skills to bring in some additional money for family support. Table-37 shows that around 26% of the students work regularly to support their father while 72% work on part time basis (Again this may be due to widespread unemployment. If these children find permanent work, the chance is that they quit their studies themselves or are forced to quit studies by their parents or circumstances). Table-38 indicates that poor people have usually large families. (This is due to their lack of education and no money to spend on birth control). Table-38 indicates that 76% of households whose children go to government secondary schools have 6-14 persons in family. This is the economically alarming situation. It also certifies the fact that poverty breeds poverty.

Low income and big families are resulting in ultimate poverty; which leads to lack of attention towards child education and its personality. The poverty pushes the parents to motivate their children to work on full time or part time along with school education. Unfortunately, due to lack of merit and quality education it has become a common saying that What would they do with education if they do not get the job so it was better to learn a skill rather than formal school education.

Opinion of Hayes (2008) seems true, i.e., “Dropouts at the post primary levels are mainly due to economic and family considerations. Some students must find

106 employment to support themselves and their relatives. Other students lose interest because of the sterility of the curriculum”.

There is also a marked difference between the educational performance of boys and girls. This is because of two reasons:

i. Girls usually are not required to work alongside their parents for the financial

support of their family.

ii. There are more financial incentives available to girls than boys in the form of

scholarships from public and private sources.

Another aspect is inadequate financing; this is because the government girls' schools have shown brilliant and far better results after the scholarship scheme for each girl student and providing School Management Committee (SMC) funds to the schools unlike boys’ schools. For instance, 226 girls obtained “A-I” grade in comparing to 54 boys during the Secondary School Certificate (SSC-II) examination (Science Group)

2006.

It has been observed that schoolchildren, who work during off school hours, not only themselves perform poorly in schools, but also has a negative impact on the performance of their nonworking schoolmates too. Because the working students interact with adults; who are mostly from uneducated classes and work in shops, garages, factories and other such places. These workers are mostly unruly lot possessing many bad habits. As a result, these working students acquire a number of evil traits, which include smoking, eve teasing, sharing of porn and unethical literature, adultery and homosexuality. These students pass these antisocial habits to other students in the school. This not only harms the atmosphere of the school, but converts it to the breeding ground for many antisocial elements. Quality of education and academic performance of all students, hence is badly affected.

107 The educational performance of male students is poorer than that of female students not only at Karachi level, but is also observable at national level. This is because as explained earlier that in most of lower and middle class families and male oriented culture with religious background; the boys are pushed to find work at an early age to earn and support the family along with pursuing their education. Thus, the boys face lack of interest towards formal education and are attracted towards self-independence through jobs and/or private business. (The contextual gap between girls and boys education is increasing and is now impacting most of the urban areas. This is giving rise to many pre and post marriage, family problems). It is high time for the government to seriously address these social issues and devise schemes for financially supporting boys also along with girls.

4.2.3. Facilities for Students at Home

Anwar (2012) rightly pointed out that the speedy urbanization of Karachi has created serious shortages of residential facilities and many other environmental and socioeconomic hazards resulting in tension, inflation and unemployment. The large number of shantytowns without civic facilities and amenities result in unpleasant and unhygienic housing conditions. These, along with an inadequate transport system, both for students, parents and teachers add to tension and frustration, which ultimately impacts upon the fresh but immature mind and physique of the students.

Home is a place for a student where he/she spends more time than he/she spends in school, thus the facilities at home and its surrounding environment impact upon his/ her overall academic performance and personality development. Facilities at home with major impact upon a child’s development and growth were included in the present study and are discussed below:

Table 39 Types of Accommodation of Students’ (House)

108

Number of Rooms In House Percent One Bedroom 31% Two Bedroom 52% Three Bedroom 12% Four Bedroom 5% Drawing room 25% Courtyard 10% Personally Owned House 33% Rented/ Government house/ Katchi Abadi 67% Settlement (Slum) N= 115

Table 40 Area of House and Family Members

Area of Number of Family Members house/flat 1-5 members 6-10 members More than 10 Total (Yards) Less than 80 sq 26% 22% 6% 54.00% Yards Between 81-120 12% 20% 8% 40.00% Yards 121-240 sq 0% 02% 2% 4% Yards More than 240 _ 01 01 2% Yards N=115 38.00% 45.00% 17.00% 100.00%

a. Residential Facilities: Tables -39 and table-40 above show that mostly the families of the students are living in miserable conditions. 31% families are living in single bedroom flat or house while 52% of the families are living with two bedrooms flat or house. Merely 33% of the families have their own accommodations while 67% of the families are either living on rent, in government quarters or settled in a slum (Katchi

Aabadi) i.e. slum areas.

Similarly, 54% of the families are confined to live within an area of less than or 80 sq yard while 40% are living in houses with covered area ranging from 81 to 120 sq

109 yards. An unpleasant observation is the fact that merely 6% of the families are enjoying a spacious living of 121 to 240 sq. yards or more.

Besides the health hazard; the congested living atmosphere is not only a major hindrance in the provision of private and peaceful environment necessary for studies while the students are at home, but it also impacts upon social, ethical and psychological behavior of the inhabitants.

Table 41 Basic Facilities at Home (Parents’ Questionnaire)

Facilities Yes No Electricity 97% 3% Proper Water supply 73% 27% Gas 95% 5% Telephone/ Cell phone 72% 28% Personal Transport 41% 59% N=115

b. Basic Facilities: Table - 41 show pleasing results that 97% of the families have the facility of electricity while 73% of them are getting proper water facilities. Gas is available to 95% of the families while landline phone and cell phone are available to

72% of the families since both these facilities are unavoidable to live a family life in

Karachi.

Table 42 Children Who Seek Parents’ OR Family Help during Homework

Need Help Percent Always 25% Seldom 54% Absolutely not 21% N =115 100.00%

c. Educational Facilities at Home: According to Table-42, only 25% of the students seek parents and family support in solving their homework while 54% are helped on

110 seldom basis and unfortunately, 21% of them do not get any help from their families.

This must be due to the factors that the fathers are engaged with their job(s) while mothers are either not adequately educated or keep busy with their household chores.

Since a child spends more time at home and always needs to refresh one’s learning at school, thus it seems unavoidable that one must be provided with family support and assistance in its educational progress. Creating community centers for coaching children, especially in slum areas are strongly recommended.

Table 43 Presence of Playground Near Students’ Residence

Facility Responses Playground facilities Yes No Playground near home 32% 68% N=115 Total= 100%

Table 44 Time Spent on Playing

Time spend on Playing/ Sports Percent Involving Body 1 Hour 47% 2 Hours 19% 3 hours or more 03% Don’t play or very rarely 31% Play on daily basis 23% Play on weekly/ holiday basis 77% N = 115 100.00% d. Sports Facilities out of School: According to the Tables-43 and Table-44; nearby playground facilities are available to merely 32% of the families. This may be due to changing trends of living in Karachi, mass urbanization and builder mafia occupying government amenities plots through unfair means and inappropriate planning. Though a few large and other small to medium family parks have been built, but play grounds are mostly extinct and needed immediately. Though Table-44; shows that 47% of the

111 boys play for an hour while 03% play for more than 3 hours. 31% of the boys’ do not play at all or they play very rarely; while only 23% play on a daily basis. A heavy ratio 77% plays on Sundays or on holidays. The study verifies that there is a serious lack of sports facilities in Karachi and there is scarce motivational awareness among students towards sports. Therefore, the greatest responsibility falls on the shoulders of all those stakeholders who are involved in students’ multifaceted growth. Schools need playgrounds. Parents need communities to promote and support sports.

Table 45 Availability of TV, Computer, Internet, etc. Facilities

Name of facility Yes No Total TV/VCD/VCR and Cable 89% 11% 100% Radio 40% 60% 100% Computer 11% 89% 100% N=115

e. Recreation Facilities: Leifer et al. (2006) have pointed out that “television is not only entertainment for students, but also an important socializing agent for them.

Furthermore, with the guidance and supervision of programs, they can learn healthy patterns of behavior and values that would lead to good sociability rather than to the growth of unhealthy values and unsocial patterns of behavior”. They continued with the viewing that media violence could lead to increased aggression in students. Worth of mentioning the work by Feshbach (2005), Leifer (2006), Mukherji (2003) and

Rossiter (2000) which mentioned significant effect of TV over children i.e.

i. Physical effect ----it interferes with the schedule of eating and sleeping due to

which indigestion, eyestrain and headaches occur.

ii. Effect on school work---- children sit before TV right from the beginning of

the transmission. They do not complete their home assignments with full

concentration and interest as they simultaneously watch TV.

112 iii. Effect on attitude ---- as a child is imitative; they want to imitate the habits and

attitudes projected by TV whether right or wrong. iv. Effect on values ---- most TV programs exhibit crime, torture revolt against

current ethical values, which develop negative attitudes.

v. Effect on speech --- contextual impact of communication, dialect, accent,

pronunciation, with many social, cultural and religious conflicts etc.

It has been observed that Pakistani TV is not playing such a constructive role as in most of the western countries. TV was introduced in the country in 1964 but now it has become common duly supported by the findings in Table-45 which show that

89% of the students have TV at home and that TV has become more common and popular than the Radio which is at the level of 40%. Due to spread of cheap technology and government’s strategy, the uses of TV and computer have increased and now even lower and middle class families are using computers at home.

Moreover, students also use computers in their schools or in internet cafés which have mushroomed due to ill planned policy on the use of technology and merely serve the negative purpose of internet technology based on cheating and accessing to pornographic sites. These cafés are producing nothing but very harmful impact upon the youth.

Watching cable TV is common among the children of Karachi. A cable TV connection can be accessed with Rs. 250/- to Rs. 350/- per month basis, which caters more than 70 to 100 different channels. They include news channels, cartoon networks, English movie channels, informative channels, family channels, sports channels, local language channel, etc. The cable operators allocate 5-10 movie channels to just make the viewers to watch Indian and English movies on demand.

Unfortunately, mostly students from government schools have been repeatedly

113 observed of having craze to watch Indian movie and sports channels rather than news or informative channels. There could be several reasons behind the practice yet the most devastating factor is the threat of losing national and cultural identity.

The prevailing trends of the students towards TV and internet needs to be checked studied and diverted to positive direction by the elders for building healthy nation.

All efforts should be made to avoid the young generation from being spoilt.

4.2.4 Parents’ Role in their Children’s Nurturing

Due to economic adversity, the pattern of life has drastically changed in modern society all over the world. The common man has to strive from dawn to dusk to earn his livelihood. Most parents do not find sufficient time to supervise the academic activities of their school-going children. The consequences of the preoccupation of individuals with their professional tasks, witnessed in western societies, are also becoming visible in Pakistan, especially in big cities like Karachi.

Long distances between the residences, and place of work, use of highly sophisticated gadgets for routine duties, pressure of work in the expensive world, individual competition, desire for promotion, increasing cost of living, diseases, corruption and similar other factors have compelled the breadwinner of the family in the modern society to ignore or overlook his family requirements. Western societies had foreseen these impending social impacts of technological development far earlier and devised scientific solutions for these problems.

To examine various aspects of the student - parent relationship, a series of questions were asked from students, parents and teachers; covering the major spheres of contextual interaction impacting upon the mental, physical, educational, emotional and moral development of students. The observations are detailed below:

114 Table 46 Inquiry of Elders from the Teachers; About the Welfare of Their School-Going Children

Frequency Percentage Often 11% Frequently 10% Rare 10% No time 69% N =115 100%

It is very important that for optimum achievement of their children, parents should maintain effective communication and coordination with the school administration and teachers yet unfortunately, according to the Table-46; teachers believe that merely

11% of the parents often make a contract with the teachers about the progress of their children. Unfortunately, 69% of parents don’t have any time for their children to contact the school. It has already been discussed earlier that in spite of government’s active efforts to functional School Management Committee (SMCs) in schools; much progress could not be achieved due to passive roles of middle and lower class parents on financial grounds. It is worth mentioning that Bynner (2007) found in U.K that the majority of parents visited their children primary school, but far fewer of working class (40%), and middle class (80%), parents visited their child’s secondary school; which shows that may be a majority of the parents feel that in secondary school their children do not need follow up visits with teachers.

Table-47 Means of Transport Used by Students

Reaching at School Percentage By their parents’ and relative conveyance 5% Public transport 32% On foot 61% By the school bus 0% N =115 100%

115 Transport is a big problem in Karachi for everyone. Parents, teachers and taught all are badly hit by this. According to Table-47, more than 61% of students go to their school on foot. On the other side very few students, 5% of students go to the school with their parents’ on their transport. Unfortunately, it has been observed that school bus facilities are not available for any government secondary school in Karachi.

Table 48 Private Tuition for Children

Nature Percentage Temporarily 22% Permanently 14% Absolutely not 64% N =115 100%

Table 49 Parents’ Attention towards their Children’s Studies

Nature Percentage Daily involvement 15% Mere advice 32% Themselves study 43% Busy can’t help 10% N =115 100%

Table 50 Parents’ Reminder to Children for Study

Nature Percentage Often 18% Sometimes 14% Always 31% Need Not Reminding 37% N =115 100%

Table 51 Parents who Coach their Children Themselves

Nature Percentage Hardly one hour daily 8% Hardly two hours daily 6% Most of time 5% Having no time 81% N =115 100%

116

During the seventies and early eighties, private tuitions and coaching culture were non-existent in Karachi. It was considered a menace, thus deplored by society. But with a gradual decline in standards of education and spurred by low income of school teachers today. There are many coaching centers operating in the city. There are also organizations that provide tutors for home tuition; in addition to that, there are large numbers of free-lance teachers engaged in private coaching to supplement their family income. With the passage of time this practice has led to compulsory coaching.

Those students who belong to poor families and are not able to pay for private coaching mostly fail in the examinations. Table-48 indicates that due to poverty another reason, 64% of the boys do not get any tuition while 22% of them get temporarily tuitions. Table-49 shows that merely 15% of the parents give daily attention, 32% merely advice to their children while 43% of the students study independently themselves. Table-50 shows that only 18% of the parents remind their children to study while 37% of them do not feel that necessary. Finally, Table-51 gives a bad picture showing that 81% of the parents have no time to coach their children while merely 8% of them coach their children hardly for one hour daily.

Not only Herman and Yeh (2006) demonstrated that the extent of parental interest and involvement in school activities is positively related to pupil achievement but numerous other studies have also proved the fact. Unfortunately, due to the above reasons; the involvement of parents in academic activities and studies of their children is insignificant. It is also a factor contributing towards degradation of academic performance of students studying in Government Secondary Schools in Karachi. The awareness programs focused on educating parents of these students, combined with the establishment of free coaching centers in these areas through community efforts

117 and NGO sponsorship are recommended to arrest the situation and bring

improvement.

4.2.5 Social Class and Educational Achievement

Assumed and found true that belonging of a child to a better social class leads to more

awareness among parents and community followed by more facilities to a child. A

simple comparison, in support, has been made between the 20 schools with affluent or

better and lesser or poor social classes in the context of their results of Secondary

School Certificate (SSC-II) for the year 2009 for example; are as follows:

Table 52 Comparison between 20 Schools of Affluent Social Class Versus 20 Schools of Poor Social Class (Source BSEK Annual Examination Result 2008, Sc. Group)

Number of Grades obtained Schools Total Pass Pass% Points A1 A B C D E F Absent Affluent or better social 26 116 346 585 513 39 700 6 2331 1625 69.71 9002.5 class/Area

Lesser or lower 0 0 0 0 1 2 59 3 65 3 4.62 11.5 social class/Area

Figure 1 A Graphical Comparison between 20 Schools of Affluent Social Class Versus 20 Schools of Poor Social Class

118 Table 53 Names of Schools Where the Students from Affluent or Better Social Class Study

S. No Name of School 1 Dehli Govt. Boys Sec. School Gulberg 2 Ebrahim Ali Bhai Pak. Navy Boys Sec. School Located Near Northern By Pass 3 Govt. Boys Secondary School No. 2 Landhi 4 Govt. Boys Secondary School No. 1 Nazimabad 5 Agro Technical Govt. Boys Sec. School Gulberg 6 G.B.S.S. Major Ziauddin Abbasi Memorial Nazimabad 7 S. M. Public Govt. Secondary School Nazimabad 8 Ebrahim Ali Bhai Govt. Boys Sec. School Mehmoodabad Kaechs 9 Govt. Boys Secondary School Kala Board Malir 10 Govt. Boys Secondary School Behar Colony 11 Tameer-E-Nau, Govt. Boys Sec. School Nazimabad 12 Govt. Boys Sec. School Asif, Model Colony, Malir 13 Govt. Comprehensive High School No. 1 Korangi 14 Govt. Boys Secondary School No. 1 15 Govt. Boys Secondary School, 5-F, New Karachi 16 P.A.F. Govt. Boys Secondary School Murad Memon Goth 17 Muslim Govt. Boys Secondary School Malir 18 Govt. Boys Secondary School Gulshan e Iqbal 19 A. U. Islamia Govt. Boys Sec. School Nazimabad 20 Govt. Boys Secondary School Arman Model Colony, Malir

Table 54 Names of Schools where Students from Less or Low Social Class Study

S. No. Name of school 1 Model Govt. Boys Secondary School Haqani Chowk 2 Govt. Boys Secondary School K.B.Ghulam Nabi, Keemari 3 Govt. Boys Secondary School, Old Golimar 4 Taleemgah Govt. Boys Secondary School, Jodia Bazar 5 Govt. Boys Secondary School No. 2 Lines Area 6 Globe Govt. Secondary School C Area Nazimabad 7 Children's Educational Centre, G.B.S.S. F-5 Nazimabad 8 Govt. Boys Secondary School (Sindhi Med) Chanesar Village. 9 G.B.S.S. Bilal Colony Korangi 10 Baldia Boys Secondary School Landhi 11 Pakistan National G.B.S.S. No.2 Old Tower Area Lyari 12 Govt. Boys Secondary School 11-F, New Karachi 13 Muslim Popular G.B.S.S. No. 2 Nazimabad 4 14 Ishatul Quran Govt. Boys Sec. School Bara Medan Liaqatabad Town 15 Zafar Academy Govt. Boys Sec. School Liaqatabad Town 16 Bano Govt. Boys Sec. School Usmania Colony Liaqatabad Town 17 Tameer-E-Millat Govt. Boys Sec. School Tameer-e-Millat Liaqatabad 18 Govt. Boys Secondary School (Sindh Med) Hajir Mureed Goth 19 New Grammar Govt. Boys Secondary School Muslimabad 20 German Model Govt. Secondary School Old Garden Area

119 Table -52 indicates that the results from the schools with the students of lesser or poor localities perform significantly poorer than the schools with the students belonging to affluent class. The students from better social class have obtained 26 A-I, 116 A, 346

B, 585 C, 513 D, 39 E grades and pass percentage 69.71 while on the other hand, from the schools where students are from lesser or poor social class, not a single student has obtained above grade D in the examination. Only one candidate passed in grade “D” while 2 students obtained E grades. The pass percentage of these schools is only 4.62%. Due to large disparities in enrolment of schools; and to assess the quality of the output, the developed point scale shows that schools having students from better social class achieved 9002 points against 11.5 from schools with lesser or poor social class students.

An examination of the above factors prompts the educationist to probe into the causes of such extreme variations and to assess underlying reasons for the consistent poor performance of Government Schools located in areas where low class or lower middle class families reside.

4.2.5.1 Better Performing Schools

Based on the study and literature review the major Factors determining academic excellence in good schools are categorized into “management (School)” and “parents” as under: a. Parents (Home) Related Factors

i. The parents of children attending such schools are themselves educated and

occupy relatively high professional positions based on their education. As

such, they are determined to educate their children as best they can to enable

them to obtain maximum socioeconomic benefits.

120 ii. Parents of such pupils also involve themselves in the studies of their children

(by examining their homework, fixing certain study Hours for them) at home

and monitor their progress. iii. Parents also take interest in co-curricular activities of students. They visit the

school and interact with teachers so that their children may attain maximum

academic excellence. iv. Such parents are also financially well off and can afford to pay private

coaching fees so that their children obtain exposure to diverse educational

media. b. Management (School) Related Factors

i. These schools are visited and inspected regularly by the higher authorities.

ii. The management of such schools is actively involved in providing a broad

spectrum of facilities to students in order to develop their potentialities to the

maximum. The atmosphere is such that children wish to attend school rather

than stay at home as is the case with children from depressed localities. iii. The school staff not only possesses paper-based qualifications, but also is

practically and temperamentally suited to the task of teaching young, growing

children. iv. The teachers maintain a proper standard of academic assessment whereby the

students are encouraged to work hard in order to obtain good results. Those

who do not do so are automatically weeded out.

v. Attendance in class is necessary for such pupils and absences leads to inquiry

from parents and /or expulsion from school. vi. Unfair practices and cheating in examinations is strictly discouraged. The

cultural background of such pupils also discourages this.

121 vii. The heads of these schools are capable, utilize their best efforts for the name

and fame of the schools, and possess the qualities of dynamic leadership.

4.2.5.2 Poorly Performing Schools

In contrast to the schools for affluent class students, the schools with students belonging to lesser or poor social class; the study finds the following main factors which are a cause of concern and affect adversely the academic performance of these schools also categorized into “management (Schools) and “parents” (Home). a. Parents (Home) Related Factors

i. The parents of such pupils are mostly illiterate and do not look with favor

upon such education.

ii. Being illiterate or semi-illiterate themselves, they cannot assist their children

in academic matters. iii. Such parents do not interact with school staff. iv. They are mostly poor and unskilled and cannot afford to send their children to

good schools; where better teachers and facilities are available.

v. Parents of such schools are not in a position to provide their children any

private coaching. vi. Most of the students are mischievous, disturbing and older in their ages and

work part time. vii. The higher authorities visit these schools very infrequently. b. Management (School) Related Factors

i. The administrative setup is in a disastrous state. No serious efforts are made

to: ensure regular classes in each subject; not to ensure regular attendance of

pupils; to give and check homework and to provide co-curricular activities.

122 ii. These schools have mostly ill-trained, incompetent staff that does not have any

skill or passion towards teaching and mostly engaged in other part time jobs.

Political influences and pressures in these schools are vivid at all levels.

Violence and disturbance in and around the schools are common. iii. The schools lack proper and dynamic leadership and junior teacher are

working as in-charge heads.

It can be concluded that the families belong to different social levels have different social attitudes towards education. Upper and Upper middle class adults are themselves better educated than adults of other classes; and they put great value upon education for education’s sake. Lower middle or upper-lower classes and the common people tend to regard education as important as it prepares their children for vocational success. The lower-lower class, on the other hand, tends to regard education with skepticism and to view the school as an institution being either contrary to its own values or of little worth.

The schools in the slum areas and having students from lesser or poor social class; are facing a multitude of problems due to numerous interconnected social, cultural, religious, lingual, economic and political factors. These issues need to be resolved on a priority basis with careful planning followed by proper implementation of the plan and regular monitoring. If this is not done on an immediate basis, the situation would lead to disastrous consequences at micro and macro level.

4.2.6 Public Polices-The Dilemma of Devolution Plan (SLGO) 2001, follow up actions and revisions with their Effects on Education

“Devolution of Power Plan (NRB-LG System 2001)”; which was commonly known as local government system according to which financial and administrative decentralization was introduced in 2001 which lasted till 2010, repealed enforced

123 again and then repealed. In the new system of local government, the administrative and financial control of most of the provincial departments, including education had been given to the City District Government. The motives were to bring a healthy change in the efficiency of these departments and to facilities the public.

Educational set up in Karachi was very different before the implementation of

“devolution plan”. In secondary and higher secondary school education; Karachi was administratively divided into 5 districts. A District Education Officer headed each district. (A separate District Education Officer was appointed for boys and girls secondary schools). There was one Director of schools controlling the whole region/ division, i.e. district offices from primary to higher secondary. It was an old and stable setup, which was dealing with education in a relatively smooth way.

After the devolution of power plan (under SLGO 2001), 5 districts were merged into one district; Educational setup was changed to a great extent. “The EDOE office”, replaced old “Directorate of School”. The merger of five districts into one created huge work load for this office. At present there is only one DOE deals with the secondary and higher secondary schools in 5 districts. The amount of work is many times more than which can be handled by one District Education Officer. Later on the management was revamped after the amendment in the Sindh Local Government Act, i.e. City Government was abandoned and administrative control of Education and

Literacy Department, Govt. of Sindh upheld. Further to that the education cadre and managerial mechanism was again revisited. Briefly, abrupt reshuffle and changes in the system provided nothing more, but fuss and weakness in the existing system.

Hence, unless the proper administrative setup is established there appears no immediate solution for the problem. Many more problems are being faced resulting

124 from immature, unplanned implementation of the devolution plan into education.

Major issues are briefly discussed below:

a. Lost or missing logistic facilities: During devolution, due to improperly

handled handover-takeover processes resulted in the loss of records and

logistic items. These include valuable vehicles, office equipment, office

records, furniture, library books, etc. Non-availability of these resources

created problems related to the management of the routine office duties. Loss

of office records combined with corruption misappropriation, malpractices led

to forged employee documents and other office records, ghost schools and

ghost employees.

b. Shortage of skilled and experienced staff: Due to long ban on appointment

since 1993, the proposed staff could not be more timely appointed. For

instance, there was the time when only one deputy district officer was working

in the office against 6 vacancies. Most of the office staff is borrowed from

schools. This leads to inefficient working of the concerned schools. Most of

the staff was inexperienced, hence are a burden on government exchequer.

The officers working on the additional charge basis; are unable to carry out

their duties efficiently. There are also regular complaints received against their

alleged corruption. In case the appointment of non-teaching staff or vocational

staff has been made, it had remained disputed and with conflicts.

c. Shortage of proper office equipment: The offices of various field officers

lack proper office facilities due to lack of coordination, timely planning, short

supply and corruption in the use of funds.

d. Poor monitoring and inspection: Many officers are over occupied in

unnecessary meetings and other engagements. Therefore, they are unable to

125 carry out scheduled school monitoring visits. Lack transport facilities and

funds for carrying out these visits is another problem. The result was that the

monitoring and inspection of the schools were at below minimum level,

resulting in no fear of accountability and disciplinary action from school

administration. e. Passive cooperation, coordination and bureaucratic attitude of linked

departments: The other concerned departments with development of

educational institutes and other facilities due to their own internal

inappropriate planning have so far failed to provide any reinforcement to the

education department. For instance, the performance of Education works for

school improvement was dismally poor. f. Tug of War between City District and Provincial Government (DOID-

ADB 2006): Due to defective planning and ambiguities in delegation of

powers, jurisdictional conflicts arise between these two on appointments and

approvals of other schemes. Ineffective coordination between education

officers and local government representatives; due to complex socio-political

chemistry of Karachi combined with corruption and lack of mutual trust is

causing delays in implementation and execution of all new initiatives resulting

in the rapid degradation of school academic performance. g. Inappropriate/ out of cadre postings of officers: Due to lack of proper

promotion and appointment policies based on merit; officers from different

professional backgrounds intruded into school education setup and acquired

lucrative posts through unfair means. This interfered with the smooth

functioning of the educational system and led to performance degradation.

126 h. Musical chair sort of transfer and postings: Due to socio-political and

administrative reasons, the EDOEs of Karachi keep on changing frequently

leading to total instability of the whole system. i. Increase in Political interference: Due to political instability and national

aptitude; the political and pressure based interference is rampant in Karachi.

After the devolution plan this interference has further increased. j. Scarcity of Educational Leadership: After the devolution plan and frequent

shuffles combined with out of merit promotions, positive educational

leadership have diminished in Karachi. Present so-called leaders lack sense of

direction. k. Ad-hoc Planning: The trend of ad-hoc planning and its implementation has

increased in all the sectors especially in the annual educational development,

budgeting and teacher training programs. This ad-hoc planning doesn’t help to

achieve set in targets. l. No or less knowledge regarding new delegation of powers: According to

SLGO 2001 and follow up Notifications (SLGB/SCUG/CAO/2001/7501); the

powers of educational officers have drastically been reduced resulting in his

inability to deal with critical situations effectively. Another outcome is a

much-delayed disciplinary action against the defaulters. This is most

devastating factor as absence check and balances defaulting employees have

no fear of departmental reprisals and continue their rampage of the education

department. m. Poor Legal system: Education Department under City District Government is

busy with the overall service affairs of 43,000 of employees in addition to

property worth of a billion of rupees due to which it is actively engaged with

127 numerous court matters involving many investigation agencies. Department’s

failure to carry out any proper and professional representation in the courts of

law against the suits that result in the loss of many cases leading further

devastation of the organization. n. The Approach of Ad-hocism: It is pertinent to mention here that the SLGO

(Sindh Local Govt. Ordinance 2001) had replaced the old system of education

management, which was continued for decades. An abrupt change and

devolution of powers from Provincial to District government resulted in chaos,

which needed total reorganization. Later on, the new elected Government of

Sindh, didn’t want to continue with the Musharraf’s given local government

system, hence the system District Government, including City District

Government Karachi had cancelled again giving the control to the Provincial

Government. Later on, the PPP led provincial government introduced a new

bill which got great opposition, particularly from its strong coalition partner

(MQM). Hence, an altered local government system separately for rural and

urban Sindh was promulgated but then received strong opposition from Sindhi

Nationalists. The provincial government could not extend its own devised

system and it went off through a natural death (6 month of Ordinance) after

which local government Acts 2013 and then 2014 were introduced but with no

peaceful settlement between the power hubs of Sindh. Owing to the unstable

state of affairs at all the administrative and managerial level; neither proper

leadership could be ensured nor could any organized and reliable chain of

command be established resulting chaos in the education system. o. Issue of Mass Level Induction of Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff: In our

system of government, the people’s representatives or the ruling party is

128 supposed to provide jobs to the people either by hook or by crook. According

to the media reports during the period of 2008-2012, a big number of people

were employed throughout Sindh particularly in Karachi. Such appointments

have remained very controversial with the allegations that the appointments

were: politically backed, not on merit, based on incompetent people, beyond

the permissible vacancy position and what not. At one hand the posts like

Primary, Junior and High School Teachers (PSTs, JSTs and HSTs) were filled

through a relatively reliable mean of written test through National Testing

Service, Pakistan (NTSP) but on the other hand other school based posts like

Oriental, Arabic, Drawing, Sindh Language Teachers and Workshop

Instructors etc. were filled through a very disputed procedure, which worsen to

the extent that such appointment was made against other available teaching

posts that supposed to be filled through NTSP. Though the present

administration of Education Department has tried to its level best but the

damage caused by such acts has given great loss to the system. In nutshell lack

of timely decision, policy of ad-hocism and non-availability of any stable and

reliable organization tier badly impacted school education in Sindh

particularly in Karachi. p. State of Reforms: The government has tried to vitalize and bring in various

reforms in the system through Sindh Education Reform Project-I and II in

liaison with the World Bank and other donor agencies. The focused aspects of

the reforms are: Sindh Education Management System (SEMIS), Financial

Management Information System (FMIS), Policy and Coordination, School

Management Committees (SMCs), Free Text Books, Girls Stipend, Teachers’

Recruitment, Terms of Partnership (ToP), Provincial Education Assessment

129 System (PEACE), Education Management Reform (EMR) and Teacher

Education Development (TED) etc. It has been viewed that owing to its wide

and large scope of work, the Refore Support Unit has to strive a lot to bring in

an organized change and restructure the system.

4.2.7 Other Factors

There are also some other factors which affect the standard of education in Secondary schools of Karachi.

a. Multiple schools in one campus: There are many campuses where multiple

secondary and primary schools are operating with each school having its own

administration. Because of divided responsibility school building is not being

properly maintained. The furniture and other educational stuff remain

insecure. The registration and documentation of government articles/good

cannot be properly maintained. Tug of war remains unending between staff

and school heads. The whole situation produces a negative impact upon the

schools’ performance.

b. Teachers’ Associations other pressure groups: The teachers’ and staff

association's impact upon the standard of education. It is complained that most

of the office bearers of these associations do not work, frequently challenge

the writ of the school administration, create hurdles in healthy educational

activities with strikes and protests and blackmail the officers.

c. Evil Role of Corrupt Officers/Officials: It is reported that many

officers/officials within the department who have entered using political links

and money engage into unfair means and corrupt practices. Corruption, in the

130 department, is prevailing to such an extent that it is common saying that

without silver wheels no file can move.

d. Lack of Awareness of Government Rules: Most of the school heads are

unaware of government rules and have no or low knowledge in day-to-day

office procedures. Due to this, they face difficulties in handling official

matters and are blackmailed by their staff. The result is; they fall prey to

corruption and corrupt others as well.

e. Defective Procedure for Promotion: The present procedure of promotion is

based upon seniority of services cum fitness. Fitness is judged through

summative evaluation termed as an Annual Confidential Report. In general,

this report is most opened document to everyone and the individual can easily

get the desired remarks by the officer concerned for the purpose. Its purpose is

totally lost when it was written at the time of promotion rather than when it is

due.

f. Disparity in remuneration: It has been observed that there is great disparity

of remuneration among employees of the education department. For example a

head of school of grade-17, who is considered the most responsible and a key

employee of the school with so many responsibilities and hectic job nature;

gets the same salary as a teacher of the same grade-17 with a few minor

responsibilities and a far less load of work.

4.2.8 Government’s Initiatives for Reform

Education Department Sindh has taken different initiative to overcome the deteriorating conditions of education in Sindh out of which the significant one was the establishment of the Reform Support Unit (RSU) in 2006 with its head office located in an old school building at Karachi. As the name suggests, the Unit was meant to

131 work on bringing about positive changes in the system. Under RSU, a World Bank funded project Sindh Education Plan/ Sindh Education Reform Project-I (SERP-I) has been incepted and completed with the inception of SERP-II.

Under SERP-I and II, the areas of Sector-wide Approach to Management, Data

Management, Partnership Agreement with District Govt. for School Improvement,

Revamping of Text Book Distribution, School Consolidation, Education

Management, School Management Committees, School Achievement Test (SAT),

Girls’ Stipend, Improvement of Recruitment, School Specific Budgeting and

Management of Teachers and initiating of Policy Review have been and are being touched. The real impact of these initiatives is yet to be seen, however, Data

Management (SEMIS), Girls Stipend and Distribution of Free Text Books have shown little acceptability. Owing to different disputed steps, the real impact of various reforms and initiatives was missing yet at large and in Karachi’s Public Education

System as well.

Conclusion

According to Memon (2010), Fatima (2002) and Okpala (2006); the educated parents pay more attention to their children and the provision of facilities for their children is far better than those provided by the poor and illiterate parents. In addition to that

Havighurst (2007), states that there is no evidence, that lower-class families love their children, less than middle-class or upper class families; also there is no evidence that they are less concerned about their child’s welfare. Yet while the lower class families may desire to do their best for the child’s proper education and development it is usually due to economic and social reasons that they are unable to provide required physical, social and intellectual support to the child. There is a less leisure time and less knowledge available for careful rearing; and, with mothers working outside the

132 home, there is likely to be less supervision given to the child’s activities and associates. It has been found that the children of educated parents did better in the quantity and quality of their answers in examinations than the children of uneducated parents. The same is the case with the parents of students studying in poorly performing schools. Programs regarding adult literacy, family welfare and economic stability of contextual deprived families are the solution to the problem.

It can be concluded that through research that in the slum areas there is the acute shortage of residential, educational, and recreational facilities. It is obvious that the educational background of the parents is a vitally important variable in students’ academic success in school. Based on current research one observes that students belonging to slum localities are educationally underdeveloped; not only due to parents’ illiteracy but also due to socio cultural shortcomings, and tough economic constraints. The result is that many students either fail in the Board’s examination or pass with dismally low grades. Such poor academic performance is not looked down upon by their parents and colleagues due to the prevailing anti education environment in these areas. The main external obstacle student faces to achieve academically is the poverty and illiteracy of the parents.

It seems that lack of dynamic leadership leading to political instability has widened the gap among various social classes. This is a major hindrance in achieving stable and sizable national progress. Education, being one of the prime movers of growth is now getting out of reach of the poor who constitute a very large majority of the populace. A national strategy to tackle the entire complex question of education on a countrywide level must be developed and implemented properly to achieve long term and lasting political and economic stability.

133 Due to inappropriate and hasty decisions on implementation on devolution plans, lack of solid management and administrative policies the standard of education has declined speedily and there is a dire need to reflect upon the need of taking a visionary decision on provincial education management to improve the declining state of secondary school education. An immediate check and appropriate revision are unavoidable in this context. More fuss has been created due to a multiple chain of commands at education and it has been rightly considered that the secondary education be given a priority and focused status under provincial government.

4.3 COMBINED ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

PEDAGOGICAL FACTORS

In accordance with the methodology described in Chapter-III, a comprehensive analysis of academic performance of 144 sample schools is presented in this section with the following noteworthy factors briefly:

a) The analysis is confined to the government secondary schools of Karachi;

working under the administrative control of Education Department,

Government of Sindh.

b) For this study, 144 sample schools were selected. The study was based on two

phases, i.e. identification of significant pedagogical factors and then their

correlation with the academic performance of the students of sample schools.

c) Identification phase was completed by a collection of data through three sets

of questionnaires filled in by specific respondents

d) Correlation phase was based on a comparison of each identified situational

factors with the academic achievement (class-X) Board of Secondary School

Education Karachi (BSEK) result.

134 e) A total number of 18 traits are considered in relation to the results of

Secondary School Certificate (SSC-II) examination by BSEK; which are

divided into two categories:. 1. Internal pedagogical or Scholastic factors 2.

External pedagogical or Socio Economic Factors factors). Under both the

headings following factors were categorized and were studied.

4.3.1 Internal Pedagogical or Scholastic Factors

1. Teachers’ terms and conditions of service

2. Teachers’ competency

3. Basic facilities in schools

4. Academic facilities in schools

5. Schools tests and examinations

6. Resort to tuition

7. Competence of head of school

8. Admission strictness

9. School maintenance

10. School finance

11. Location of school

4.3.2. External Pedagogical or Socio Economic Factors

1. Fathers’ education

2. Fathers’ occupation

3. Mothers’ education

4. Mothers’ occupation

5. Income household

6. Students’ residence

7. Parents’ contact with teachers

135 To determine the impact and the correlation between “each of the 18 identified pedagogical factors/traits” and the “academic achievement” of the students of the sample schools; “the mean scores of rating were compared with mean scores of grading result of each sample school”. The reason to focus on Science Group result was the fact that an overwhelming majority of regular students of government secondary schools prefer to opt “science group”. In this regard,

i. The rating of the traits by 25 raters was graded on an 11 point scale according

to the following formula and rating of individual schools, by the raters, on

certain characteristics,.

1 (one) = For the best.

11 (Eleven) = For the worst.

Rating  = ∑ Rating of Schools i1-11

ii. In relation to the other variable i.e. the result of Secondary School Certificate

(SSC) examination; the numeral values were assigned as follows:

Table 1 Grades and Assigned Numeric Values

Grade Obtained Assigned Numeric Value A-1 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E 6 F 7

136 iii. The score for the schools was calculated according to the percentage in grade

multiplied by the numeral value of grade summed up and dived by 100.

Result  = Percent in grade i 1-100 x Grade j.1-7

100

iv. The score of the outcome was correlated with the average rating on the trait

characteristics. v. The Pearson’s Correlation formula applied to determine correlation between

the result of the SSC examination by the Board of Secondry Secondry

Education Karachi (BSEK) and trait characteristics.

137 Table 55 Statistical Analysis of Academic Performances in Relation to Relevant Internal and External Pedagogical Factors

No. Characteristics Mean Standard Deviation Correlation 0 SSC Examination Results 2.98 1.18 1.00 Teachers’ Terms and Conditions of 1 2.96 0.90 0.78 Service 2 Teachers’ Competency 2.82 0.93 0.69

3 Basic Facilities in Schools 3.45 1.36 0.87

4 Academic Facilities in Schools 3.58 1.51 0.84

5 School Tests and Examination 3.13 1.98 0.43

6 Resort to Tuition 2.75 1.56 0.64

7 Competence of Head (of school) 3.10 0.87 0.86

8 Admission Strictness 3.03 1.59 0.67

9 School Maintenance 3.06 1.65 0.66

10 School Finance 3.32 1.46 0.86

11 Location of School 3.70 1.57 0.72

12 Fathers’ Education 2.89 2.21 0.35

13 Fathers’ Occupation 4.20 1.65 0.63

14 Mothers’ Education 4.03 1.72 0.64

15 Occupational Status of Mothers 3.78 2.34 0.49

16 Household Income 4.12 1.37 0.59

17 Residence of Students 3.35 1.03 0.85

18 Parents’ Contact 3.03 1.49 0.76 Factors 1-11 are internal pedagogical (scholastic) factors Factors 12-18 are external pedagogical (socio-economic) factors * Insignificant at 0.01 level

138 A. Academic Achievement SSC Examination Results

Rating of Schools No. of Schools

Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0

2.1- 3 19

3.1- 4 28

4.1- 5 41 5.1- 6 49 6.1- 7 7

7.1- 8 0 8.1- 9 0

9.1- 10 0

10.1- 11 0

Total 144

B. Socio-Economic Factors

Factor No: 1 Teachers’ Terms and Conditions of Service

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 2 2.1- 3 11 3.1- 4 21 4.1- 5 78 5.1- 6 24 6.1- 7 6 7.1- 8 0 8.1- 9 0 9.1- 10 2 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

According to the scale described above; coefficient of correlation between the average rating of the schools and the score is +0.78 with mean on X (teachers’ terms and

139 conditions of service) and Y (Results) are 2.96 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=0.90 and y=1.18 (table 55).

The γ is significant at 0.01 levels. This means that teachers are like potters who molds clay according to their needs or like gardeners who eliminate weeds or cut branches according to their requirement. Table 8 (i) and (ii) reveals that the teachers are well qualified, i.e. 94% are graduates; while 17% are M.A and 9% are M.Sc. Moreover professionally 83% are B.Ed. and 14% are M.Ed. Their academic qualifications are satisfactory, but most of them might have joined as teachers as the only option for employment since their academic achievement or scholastic level is such that most of them have 2nd class marks in their respective subjects.

It has already been discussed above that the salary of teachers is not in accordance with the rate of inflation in the country. To make both ends meet they strive hard and sometimes use even and odd ways of earnings, which affect their rapport as well as efficiency.

Factor No: 2 Teachers’ Competency

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 2 2.1- 3 6 3.1- 4 26 4.1- 5 88 5.1- 6 14 6.1- 7 6 7.1- 8 0 8.1- 9 0 9.1- 10 2 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

140 Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of the schools and the score is

+0.69 with mean on X (teachers’ competency) and Y (Results) are 2.82 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=0.93 and y=1.18 (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

Teachers’ competency and its influence on academic achievement of students show a positive effect. According to data as detailed above, it reveals that teachers are far behind in this particular aspect causing deleterious effect on the academic achievement of students.

Factor No- 3: Basic Facilities in Schools

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 2 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 6 3.1- 4 9 4.1- 5 35 5.1- 6 63 6.1- 7 19 7.1- 8 4 8.1- 9 6 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.87 with means X ( Basic Facilities in schools) and Y (Results) are 3.45 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.36 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

It is described under sub heading “B. Facilities in the School” that the secondary schools are lacking the basic facilities. This may be due to several reasons i.e.: lack of funds, misappropriation of funds, misuse of provided facilities, inappropriate personnel in educational institutions, incapable administration, lack of accountability in educational institutions, indifferent administration, lack of dynamic leadership, lack

141 of merit, corruption, inappropriate planning and unprofessional administrators etc. It appears that all means of improving and maintaining academic and physical facilities in schools are ignored and disregarded and deterioration continues unabated. The necessary input should be made available and comprehensive review of educational system is urgently required to check the progressive decline of educational standards.

Factor No 4 Academic Facilities in Schools

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 2 2.1- 3 6 3.1- 4 6 4.1- 5 35 5.1- 6 56 6.1- 7 20 7.1- 8 6 8.1- 9 7 9.1- 10 2 10.1- 11 4 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.84 with means X (Academic

Facilities in schools) and Y (Results) are 3.58 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.51 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

As given in Table-24 followed by discussion; majority of the schools have grossly insufficient quantity of equipment, apparatus and chemicals. They also and lack other academic facilities. This is all due to lack of resources, mismanagement, lack of coordination and corruption.

142

Factor No- 5 School Tests and Examination

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 2 3.1- 4 9 4.1- 5 9 5.1- 6 47 6.1- 7 45 7.1- 8 22 8.1- 9 6 9.1- 10 2 10.1- 11 2 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.43 with means X (School test and examination) and Y (Results) are 3.13 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.98 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

The coefficient of correlation (+0.43) indicates that internal school tests and term examinations have significant impact over board examination results. A comprehensive discussion under heading “The System of Examination and Related

Malpractice”, supported by Table-27 and Table-28 has been made in this aspect.

Since this practice is either low or lacking in scope and coverage of the curriculum, hence the academic achievement of students is drastically impacted. The hindrances in the conduction of regular and effective tests and term examinations must be curbed.

143 Factor No- 6 Resort to Tuition

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 4 3.1- 4 6 4.1- 5 22 5.1- 6 60 6.1- 7 50 7.1- 8 2 8.1- 9 0 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.64 with means X (Resort to

Tuition) and Y (Results) are 2.75 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.56 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

Correlation value +0.64 indicates that there is much resort to private tuitions and coaching centers. As earlier mentioned that, “private tuitions and coaching culture”, which was considered a menace once and lack of efficiency on the part of teachers and schools; have now become a necessity and is widely supported by the parents. It is common belief among the majority of parents and students that: a. Classroom teaching is no more an effective form of teaching b. The government schools do not impart required standard of education for students to pass and c. Students who do not receive private tuition are bound to fail. Proper tactics to curb this practice are needed because it is promoting academic malpractices at all levels.

144 Factor No-7 Competence of Head (of school)

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 2 2.1- 3 11 3.1- 4 21 4.1- 5 78 5.1- 6 24 6.1- 7 6 7.1- 8 0 8.1- 9 0 9.1- 10 2 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.86 with means X (Competence of

Head) and Y (Results) are 3.10 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=0.87 and y=1.18,

(table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

No doubt that dynamic and positive leadership at the school level produces revolutionary results. The government schools with good and change, bringing heads are performing better. According to the departmental polity 40% of the school heads were selected through Sindh Public Service Commission while 60% through promotion on the seniority cum fitness basis. Unfortunately, such a policy could not be properly ensured leaving an unbalanced situation in favor of the promotees (those who get the benefit for appointment through promotion). Although, through direct recruitment, a few young and energetic school heads were selected and they performed better. For the promotees, it has been observed that many teachers are promoted at the age close to their retirement, thus either they forego the promotion or keep the status quo; waiting for their retirement.

145 Selection of heads on the merely seniority basis needs to be looked with various dimension, i.e. leadership qualities, physique and health, personality, professional potential and competency, interpersonal and interpersonal and social skills and other related factors because a school head is the most effective change agent. Special efforts are needed to prepare aspirant school heads for new jobs. Proper institutes offering courses in areas of school administration need to be established. In order to ensure leadership at education system; the Education and Literacy Department under

Sindh Education Reform Project-II has introduced “school management cadre” with

50% quota to commissioned officers (DMG/PAS/PSS Officers etc.) “School

Executive Services”, which is also debatable.

Factor No 8 Admission Strictness

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 6 2.1- 3 7 3.1- 4 4 4.1- 5 22 5.1- 6 55 6.1- 7 39 7.1- 8 7 8.1- 9 4 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.67 with means X (Admission

Strictness) and Y (Results) are 3.03 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.59 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels and shows that admission policy of a school may affect the academic achievements.

146 According to West and Hind (2009) and School Administration Code, (SAC-

2014,DoE-UK); in England the main criteria beside academic ability and competence of the relevant level is: sibling, compulsory age (7 to 11 years), feeder schools, distance, catchments area, medical/social need, first preference, difficulties in journey to other schools, children of former pupils/employees, religious criteria and aptitude etc; while unfortunately in most of the government secondary schools no criteria exists while admitting the aspiring students. As per policy of the government, the heads are bound to increase their schools enrolment which affects the quality of education. Very few schools conduct tests (mostly oral, simple questions) and some of them just consider the ability to read and write Urdu (national) and English at basic level enough for admitting a student. Most of the heads are forced to make admission without considering age, ability, anecdotal/past record and character of the child, which causes drastic academic and administrative disorders in the schools later on.

A student who is older of his level, one is incapable to run with the class, one having with part time working or poor background keep on disturbing the class and spoil others. Smoking, unethical acts, use of slang or off color language, angry tone, trends of homosexuality, diseases and other such irregularities have their roots in the admission policy of a school and leave irreparable traits to the whole school in future.

For better and quality education, the authorities should address this factor properly.

147 Factor No-9 School Maintenance

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 2 2.1- 3 4 3.1- 4 9 4.1- 5 17 5.1- 6 60 6.1- 7 39 7.1- 8 11 8.1- 9 2 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.66 with means X (School

Maintenance) and Y (Results) are 3.06 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.65 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

Plainly, points to the fact the provision of every type of physical, academic and other facilities impact upon academic achievements thus maintenance of schools need proper attention by the concerned authorities for quality education.

Factor No 10 School Finance

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 4 2.1- 3 6 3.1- 4 11 4.1- 5 32 5.1- 6 58 6.1- 7 22 7.1- 8 4 8.1- 9 7 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

148 Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.86 with means X (School

Finance) and Y (Results) are 3.32 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.46 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

Ultimately, with the appropriate finance, a school, not only can maintain the available facilities but can provide new ones. As earlier mentioned that if neither any fee nor any funds are charged, then how a school head could run a school.

It again reminds that due to lack of coordination and defective planning the department of education failed to grant School Management Committee (SMC) funds for the year 2006 to support the schools as yet (January 2007). Better schools are merely running with the balances they were having or their heads are generating funds at their own level to run their schools.

Factor No 11 Location of School

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 0 3.1- 4 9 4.1- 5 41 5.1- 6 38 6.1- 7 19 7.1- 8 24 8.1- 9 11 9.1- 10 2 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.72 with means X (Location of

Schools) and Y (Results) are 3.70 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.57 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

149 The value of correlation has been found +0.72, which is significant that means that impact of a school's location (whether it is situated in posh area or depressed locality) on the academic achievements of students is significant.

Factor No-12 Fathers’ Education

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 0 3.1- 4 6 4.1- 5 11 5.1- 6 41 6.1- 7 28 7.1- 8 4 8.1- 9 13 9.1- 10 34 10.1- 11 7 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.35 with means X (Fathers’

Education) and Y (Results) are 2.89 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=2.21 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

The calculated value is significant and shows that fathers’ qualification plays a very important role in academic achievement of the child, however, according to the Table

32 (a) and Table 32 (b) it is evident that educational qualification of the parents is not low in Karachi only but it is low at national level also.

150 Factor No 13 Fathers’ Occupation

Rating of Schools No: of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 4 3.1- 4 13 4.1- 5 24 5.1- 6 43 6.1- 7 6 7.1- 8 19 8.1- 9 31 9.1- 10 4 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.63 with means X (Fathers’

Occupation) and Y (Results) are 4.20 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.65 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

The significant value of correlation indicates that paternal profession has a positive effect on the student’s academic achievement truly supported by Hurlock (2009) according to which fathers’ occupation is very important to a young child. She also found that when a child is ashamed of the father’s occupation and kind of attire demanded by the work, the child’s attitude to his studies would be adversely affected.

One of the causes of poor quality education in contextual schools is that mostly the students belong to lower middle or lower-lower social class that has thoroughly been discussed under the heading of “Parent’s Economical Conditions” with the conclusion that economic wellbeing of low-income groups needs to be addressed by the government.

151

Factor No. 14 Mothers’ Education

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 2 2.1- 3 2 3.1- 4 11 4.1- 5 28 5.1- 6 39 6.1- 7 9 7.1- 8 19 8.1- 9 28 9.1- 10 6 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.64 with means X (Mothers’

Education) and Y (Results) are 4.03 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.72 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

The higher value of the coefficient of correlation is remarkable and indicate that academic achievement are greatly affected by the mothers’ education since in the absence of fathers they not only support and guide their sons but they can afford to pass more time with them. In the light of psychological attachment of sons to mothers

(Wikipedia-Oedipus Complex), adult literacy programs for mothers to help their children can be very useful.

152 Factor No 15 Occupational Status of Mothers

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 0 3.1- 4 7 4.1- 5 11 5.1- 6 53 6.1- 7 15 7.1- 8 2 8.1- 9 6 9.1- 10 24 10.1- 11 26 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.49 with means X (Occupational

Status of Mothers) and Y (Results) are 3.78 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=2.34 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

The significant value of correlation indicates that if a mother is working (for whatever reason); it produces a positive impact on children’s academic achievement. Since with this additional income parents can provide better educational facilities to the child.

Factor No 16 Household Income

Rating of Schools No. of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 0 3.1- 4 9 4.1- 5 19 5.1- 6 58 6.1- 7 9 7.1- 8 38 8.1- 9 7 9.1- 10 4 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

153 Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.59 with means X (Household

Income) and Y (Results) are 4.12 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.37 and y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels.

The calculated value, i.e. +0.59 proves that household income affects upon the academic achievement of the children. The Table-52 shows that academic results of the students that belong to lesser or poor social class remains significantly low and vice versa. The factor of family income is based not on the collective income earned by the family. But it is adjusted according to family size. Medium to short families with the proper and effective use of family income brings optimum results when academic performance of children of that family is considered.

Factor No- 17 Residence of Students

Rating of Schools No: of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 11 3.1- 4 7 4.1- 5 66 5.1- 6 41 6.1- 7 15 7.1- 8 0 8.1- 9 2 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 2 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.85 with means X (Residence of

Students) and Y (Results) are 3.35 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1.03 and

154 y=1.18, (table 55) with γ is significant at 0.01 levels. This means that residence, living conditions and locality affects upon the academic achievement of the child.

In the discussion followed by Table-39; it was concluded that the students who are residing in a depressed locality and studying there, show a sharp decline in academic achievement. Parents of these children are compelled to settle in such slum localities due to financial constraints. The real reason is socioeconomic deprivation, which should be addressed by the government and public jointly.

Factor No 18 Parents’ Contact

Rating of Schools No: of Schools Interval Frequency 0-1 0 1.1- 2 0 2.1- 3 4 3.1- 4 7 4.1- 5 39 5.1- 6 47 6.1- 7 37 7.1- 8 8 8.1- 9 2 9.1- 10 0 10.1- 11 0 Total 144

Coefficient of correlation between the average rating of schools and the sore of the results according to the scale described above is +0.76 with means X (Parents' contact with teachers) and Y (Results) are 3.03 and 2.98 with standard deviation x=1. 49 and y=1. 18, (table 55) with γ are significant at 0.01 levels.

Parents –Teacher contact regarding their children’s progress, impacts upon the academic achievement of their children as found significant with the calculated value of correlation +0.76.

155 From Table 3.44 it is evident that the parents’-teachers’ interaction is pretty low, i.e. only 11% and 10% of the parents either contact with teachers often or frequently while 69% of the parents do not have time to do this due to their engagements most probably economic survival. The mothers, case may develop this contact but due to their household activities and low educational background; most of them fail to do so.

The government, however, through effective use of mass media, should sponsor public awareness campaign to promote healthy interaction between parents and teachers for better academic results of students especially from slum areas.

Conclusion

With reference to the study; out of the 18 factors; 7 factors relate to the domestic environment (external pedagogical) whereas the other 11 are related to scholastic

(internal pedagogical) factors. The deliberations conclude that education is a joint product of two interdependent elements, i.e. home/community and school. A brief pointwise reflection of the analysis is as under:

i. Need for the economic uplift of the poor or less privileged social classes

through effective planning and implementation.

ii. Need for education and literacy among masses of poor areas and slums. iii. Need for realistic reforms and reorganization of the system at micro and macro

level. iv. Need to organize, value and promote a team of honest, nation loving,

competent, visionary and sincere employees on merit and transparency at all

levels of command and control.

v. Need for adequate and timely funding that to be spent on a smart approach in a

positive and transparent way.

156 vi. Need to realize that the academic performance of students cannot be

considered in isolation, but is associated with other scholastic, socioeconomic,

political and psychological factors which must be kept into consideration for a

productive educational system

vii. Need for effective leadership, management, administration and command and

control system viii. Need to make or review policies and strategies at provincial and contextual

level in perspective of cultural, social, political, economic and religious

aspects.

ix. Need to balance” the quality and quantity” and need to take bold decisions for

school improvement.

x. Need for the healthy interaction between family and schools that can be

promoted through effective media campaigns and incentives.

xi. Need for general corrective measures like: accountability, check and balance,

monitoring, consideration of on cost effectiveness, reward and award.

xii. Need to uplift the social and economic status of the government

schoolteachers and other personnel. xiii. Need to give value and incentives as talented individual could join education

services with respect and dignity. xiv. Need to review the teachers’ terms and service conditions be reviewed,

balanced and implemented in favor of the education system

xv. Need for competency and merit based selection of educators and related

personnel xvi. Need to make efforts and start organizing programs to provide basic and

academic facilities.

157 xvii. Need for strengthen, promote and functionalize effective School Management

Committee (SMCs) for effective interaction between school and community.

xviii. Need to provide and spend funds on realistic and transparent way through

collective participation.

xix. Need to restore internal testing, examination, regular monitoring, school

inspection

xx. Need to curb tuition and coaching culture through better approach and

academic performance in schools.

xxi. Need to design effective uniform admission criteria in the schools

xxii. Need for allocation of special development fund school maintenance through

School Management Committee (SMC)

xxiii. Need to enable schools to generate their own funds through transparent ways

of self-sufficiency.

xxiv. Need to establish schools in new settlements in suitable and accessible

localities with effective planning and coordination.

xxv. Need to promote school-community interaction for the parents that can lead to

counselling programs for the teachers, parents and students' welfare.

xxvi. Need to introduce incentive to the parents of better performer students and

stipend to such students

xxvii. Need to give incentive to the deserving poor parents of slum and poor

localities to get their wards admitted. xxviii. Need for introducing skill development program for the students and the

parents through School Management Committee (SMC) in off school hours.

158 xxix. Need to use media and all other possible ways for the cause of Society’s

ownership for the acceptability, credibility, productivity and support for

government school system of education.

xxx. Need to promote competition through policies of decentralization of schools to

interested and capable adopters or organization on public friendly terms and

conditions.

4.4 HYPOTHESES TESTING

In the light of the available data and its statistical interpretation; summary of the

results regarding the hypotheses mentioned in chapter one is as under:

According to the main hypothesis:

“The level of positive or negative correlation between pedagogical factors and the

process of education significantly impacts upon the standard of education at

government secondary schools of Karachi.”

There were two aspects of the study, i.e. a. Internal Pedagogical (Scholastic) Factors

b. External Pedagogical (socioeconomic) Factors; and each was associated with a

number of variables calling for sub hypotheses.

Under the aspect of internal pedagogical factors, eleven factors were studied. These

are as given below:

1. Teachers’ terms and conditions of service

2. Teachers’ competency

3. Basic facilities in schools

4. Academic facilities in schools

5. Schools tests and examinations

6. Resort to tuition

7. Competence of head of school

159 8. Admission strictness

9. School maintenance

10. School finance

11. Location of school

4.4.1 Contextual Correlation and Significance

A correlation exercise between these factors and the academic achievement, i.e. examination results, concluded that factors 1-11 have a very significant correlation thus sizable impact upon the educational standard. The presence of these factors impacts positively and their absence impacts negatively. It would be suitable if the above conditions are promoted and created in government secondary schools of

Karachi.

The other aspect was external pedagogical (socioeconomic) factors, which are:

1. Fathers’ education

2. Father’s occupation

3. Mothers’ education

4. Mothers’ occupation

5. Income household

6. Students' residence

7. Parents’ contact with teachers

These 7 factors were also correlated with the academic achievements and show a significantly high correlation. It is concluded, that these factors play an operative and imperative role in improving educational standard.

In addition to the main hypothesis, three auxiliary hypotheses were established.

Hypotheses “a” and “b” were related to internal pedagogical (scholastic) factors while the “c” was related to the external pedagogical (socioeconomic) factors. These are:

160

4.4.1.1 Internal Pedagogical or Scholastic Factors

a. Reasonable terms and service conditions for the teachers and their competency

have a positive correlation with the quality of education in secondary school of

Karachi.

b. Non-availability or lack of basic academic facilities; has negative correlation

with academic achievement.

The hypothesis “a” was tested and validated by statistical analysis in this chapter. The values of correlation of the factors 1 and 2, have been noted as +0.78 and +0.69 that show that the teachers’ service terms and conditions along with their competency are positively correlated with the academic achievement of the students. Both the factors have been thoroughly discussed with recommendations.

In the test of hypothesis “b”; it has been noted that the availability of basic and academic facilities positively correlated with the academic achievement because the correlations of factors 3 and 4 (Basic and academic facilities in schools) with academic achievement have been noted as high as +0.87 and +0.84. It means it is high time for the authorities to shape the government schools as, academically, environmentally and aesthetically healthy learning places.

4.4.1.2 External Pedagogical or Socio Economic Factors

c. Parents’ educational qualifications, financial stability and personal

involvement in the children’s educational progress; have noteworthy stimulus

on the academic accomplishment of their children.

Hypothesis “c” was tested in two ways. At one hand, the results were compared between 20 schools with the students of affluent or better social class with the schools with the students of lesser or poor social classes study (tables 52 and 53). It is worth

161 mentioning that the overall pass percentage of lesser class schools was found to be4.62% only (with one “D” and two “E” graders) against better schools pass percentage 69.71% (with 26 “A-I”, 116 “A” and 346 “B” graders etc.). The figures proved that the students from relatively affluent social classes performed far better than those who belonged to lesser or poor social classes. Observations have thoroughly been discussed in the context of the causes.

On the other hand the academic achievements of 144 schools were examined and correlated with the raters findings on 7 socioeconomic factors. The statistical values of the correlation were noted as +0.35, +0.63, +0.64, +0.49, +0.59, +0.85 and +0.76 which were significant at 0.1 level. It means that these factors impact the standard of education in government secondary schools of Karachi. Consequently, in order to improve and uplift the declining standard of education; these factors should also be focused upon.

In the light of the aforesaid findings the main hypothesis stands accepted that “The level of positive or negative correlation between pedagogical factors and the process of education significantly impacts upon the standard of education at government secondary schools of Karachi.”

162 CHAPTER – V

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

5.1 SUMMARY

A brief of the previous chapters is distributed in the following headings and sub-headings:

5.1.1 Research Context

5.1.1.1 Background

Pakistan as sixth most populous state with its 44th largest economy and geopolitical locations, is one of the significant state in the World (Wikipedia 2014). It comprises of four provinces among which Sindh is the second largest in population enjoys a very important position in the country with its capital Karachi. Karachi is not only the biggest city of Pakistan and economic hub in this country, but it ranks as the eighth most populous city of the World.

Karachi has been experiencing different challenges due to various local, national and internationally linked socioeconomic and political factors. Most of these challenges are linked with lack of education or depriving the state of quality education for the masses, particularly that which is catered through public institutions.

5.1.1.2 Rationale

Secondary school education plays important role in shaping individual’s future life.

The standard of education in Government schools, particularly in secondary schools working under the Education Literacy Department, in Karachi; has been found as declining to an alarming stage. From the administrative, managerial and leadership context, the situation has started worsening since the enforcement of devolution of power plan (SLGO 2001) and event after different follow up ad-hoc decisions.

163 The main objective of the study was to explore such reasons and the factors that influence the performance of public secondary school so as the specific weak areas can be identified to work upon. Moreover correlation with the identified factors with academic achievement was found out so as the relationship between both could be ascertained. During the study, other related direct and indirect aspects influencing upon the secondary school education, have also been discussed.

5.1.1.3 Methodology

As detailed in earlier chapters, with questionnaire were used to collect input from stakeholders whose views were scanned to identify 18 situation factors categorized into scholastic and socioeconomic factors i.e. 11 and 7 respectively. With the help of raters each of situational factor was rated and then the score was correlated with the result (i.e. Academic achievement)

5.1.1.4. Brief Findings

Though the educational system is concerned with different factors that have been briefly discussed yet contextual study was more specifically concerned with the influence of pedagogical factors on academic standard in the government secondary schools of Karachi i.e. pedagogical factors affecting such schools. These factors were categorized into Internal and External pedagogical factors, i.e. scholastic factors and socio-economical (factors like lack of commitment, poor infrastructure, command and control, unfriendly service conditions, lack of basic academic facilities in schools and parents’ poor socioeconomic and educational backgrounds etc.)

Almost all of these factors have been thoroughly discussed and summed up in the light of literary material, questionnaires, rating scale, interpretation of obtained data and its analysis. The findings show that, academic achievements are dependent on and correlate with identified scholastic and socioeconomic factors. Hence the current state

164 of affairs is due to the certain described weak areas. In a broader way, it may be declared that such weaknesses are due to the lack of: effective leadership, management, commitment, capacity and resources faced by the secondary schools of

Karachi.

5.1.2. Summary of Imperative Findings and Recommendations

5.1.2.1 General

The study also shows a bleak picture of such schools and identifies deficient areas to work upon. The findings are now encapsulated under the headings followed by suggestions/ remedies. i. Stability of system with Concrete Decision Making

Education is one of the most sensitive subjects that impacts upon the nation’s future.

Since it is associated with the children, i.e. the future of the nation; great care, thoughtfulness and deep vision are essential to take education related decisions.

Unfortunately, where, on one hand the national curriculum is criticized for being unrealistic and not meeting with the global demand while on the other hand the

Provincial Government’s couldn’t perform as it was envisaged. In case of Sindh

Government, a policy of experimentalism was observed due to lack of: political commitment, committed and visionary leadership, effective team and expertise.

Owing to different macro and micro level challenges faced by the Sindh province, the government could not bring a pleasant change. It is apparent that the things started worsening with political involvement with the politics of compromises. Especially after the promulgation of Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001; education system was stumbling and when, after spending substantial resources, things started settling; the system once again wrapped back. The same was happening

165 with different short and long termed decisions in the context that keep on changing on the wish list of the provided leadership.

Recommendation

In order to ensure to bring the past glory of the public education system, the

Government of Sindh is required to take firm, uncompromising and lasting decisions with the highest priority to the education system, which should be revamped, with the public and private sector collaboration through educationists’ effective role. ii. Political Commitment

Owing to the specific weakness of the prevailing political system; each of the ruling and coalition partners’ based government considers education department. Hence, the education department, owing to its sizable resources (including human resources and findings) has become very lucrative for the grey actors further worsening the situation.

Recommendation

The Government of Sindh, with the help of all-political lords; can develop a consensus for the “high priority”, “No compromise” and “zero tolerance policy” for this particular subject. With “join for education” the ruling and opposition party could jointly provide an independent, broad and welfare based leadership and management model for the education where nothing but the education for all shall be the priority. iii. Leadership, Team and Capacity Building

Education is the most important subject for the society. It would be better that when the “selection for the fertile brains and talented individual” is made for Central

Superior Services (CSS) or Provincial Civil Services (PCS) there are different groups which are offered for career, however, for unlike other groups of services

166 “Educational Group of Services” is not offered hence a natural leadership for education through talented is not available.

For an improved management in the education of Sindh, several reforms are being introduced by the Department which are carrying certain challenges, issues and under debate (e.g. School Executive Services (SES) which is being started under commitment in Sindh Education Reform Project-II) but needs further specific refinement.

Recommendation

Education in Sindh; particularly in Karachi, badly needs a visionary, capable, effective, efficient and strong leadership to optimally joint support. An able leader at different level of management with capable team and their capacity building must be the highest priority areas for the Government of Sindh to do. iv. Role of Civil Society

Pakistan is an Islamic republic with the constitution based on democracy. If the

Democracy is the Government of the people, by the people and for the people, then there must be an integral role of the people from all stakes of life to contribute in the most important aspect of social sector i.e. Education.

Recommendation

It is, therefore, the need of the hour that the masses should be mobilized to participate in educational watch, promote and welfare activities; for which not only the government but the media could play an active role. This healthy participation and coordination shall positively contribute to the stability and quality education at local, provincial and national level. Karachi being the mega and National City would be benefited a lot through such move for the public contribution towards education.

v. Role of Media

167 The positive role of the media can contribute in improving the present state of affairs through its proactive and dedicated roles. On one hand, it could mobilize the private and public sector, education experts, while on the other hand it could highlight the weaknesses of the system to help the management and the government.

Recommendation

Efforts be made to mobilize the media towards the weaknesses of exiting the secondary school system. vi. Educational Think Tank

The educators or the people who have a deep understanding, having rich knowledge, required skills, experience and contribution in the context, should deal policy making in “Education”. Policy and initiative have remained failed since either the policy makers or the implementation leadership couldn’t justify the demand.

Since under the 18th Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan; now the “education” is a provincial subject.

Recommendation

It is therefore proposed that a permanent body, i.e. Educational Think Tank preferably be constituted at provincial level. This body may be comprised of educational experts, technocrats, scholars, researchers, scientists and contributor towards the education of national and international fame. The body may be powered to oversee and control education system including Public and Private Universities, Education Department,

Educational and Technical Boards, Bodies and authorities etc. with the sole authority to take all related decisions. Its sole function could be to make efforts to ensure a purposeful and productive education system enabling the learners to meet with the

World. The body led by the Chairman may also be empowered to only report to the

Governor or Chief Minister Sindh and responsible to submit its report to the

168 provincial assembly Sindh within every six months. Further framework, functions and powers may be devised after deep deliberations. vii. Introducing competition through decentralization of schools

Centralization of education at the provincial level has made the system over sized and uncontrollable. It has been seen that the flop campuses have significantly improved when they were handed over to NGOs or other organization on an adoption basis.

Recommendation

It is therefore proposed that the government should make policies to decentralize the schools to potent and capable stakeholders on public friendly terms and conditions.

5.1.2.2 Study Specific i. Enrolment and Teacher- Students Ratio

Extreme and dejected observations have been experienced. There are the schools with lots of students but an acute shortage of teachers and the schools with so many teachers but hardly a few students.

The reasons for low enrolment in boys’ schools (mostly evening shift schools) are non-availability of basic academic facilities, poor quality of teaching, negative attitude of the school administration, negligence by higher authorities, reduction on delegation of administrative powers, changing trends in parents regarding evening schools due to the opening of mushroomed private schools in the morning.

The reasons for high enrolment, but shortage of teaching staff are shirking of schoolteachers to work in active working schools in the morning shift. Such staff, if is posted then the orders of the authorities are successful resisted with the use of various political channels, pressure groups.

In spite of the efforts by the authorities; allegedly, most of evening schoolteachers resists against their transfers to the schools, where there is an acute shortage of staff;

169 on the grounds that they serve either in privately run morning schools or some other part time job in the morning. Due to lack of check and inspection in evening schools; they feel that easy to work there.

Recommendation

It is suggested the administrative power of the officers should be increased to transfer the staff where it is needed. The policy of cost-effectiveness should be applied to run the schools, while the political and pressure group’s interference be minimized with effective planning and implementation. Causes for low enrolment in some specific areas be sought out and properly addressed. Campaigns and incentives regarding increase in enrolment should be carried out through the media. Being wasted funds on the salary and useless budgeting be saved and be spent on functioning schools instead of passive or empty schools. ii. Basic and Academic Facilities in Schools

Most of the secondary schools lack the basic and academic facilities, i.e. absence or poor boundary wall, poor building conditions, no water, electricity, gas, telephone, fans, teaching aids, laboratories, computer labs etc.

Recommendation

Enough funds and efforts should be utilized by the government school could physically be improved and motivate the students and teachers to work hard. Funding through School Management Committee (SMCs) is a good approach, but it must be distributed timely, transparent and be spent in the same manner through clean and honest administration.

i. Co-Curricular Activities

Due to lack of funds, passive coordination, tug of war between stakeholder, administrative loopholes, lack of funds, playgrounds, sports article, lack of interest by

170 school heads, changing trends among students and teachers; co-curricular activities in government boys’ secondary school have harmfully been reduced which are harmful towards the creativity and talent of the students and bring drastic results on overall growth of the student.

Recommendation

It’s high time for the educational managers, key stakeholders and the higher ups to promote co-curricular activities through effective coordination among various concerned officers and agencies targeting the boys’ secondary schools particularly.

The playgrounds of the schools should properly be maintained and great care should be kept while establishing the new schools.

ii. Demographical Changes and Educational Investment

Karachi is considered as Mini-Pakistan, due to its population and its diversity.

Hundreds and thousands of people, nearly from all the regions of the country migrate to this city for their economic survival since they belong to relatively middle or lower social class of the country. The population of the city is increasing with the rate of more than 5% per year, while 45,000 migrant workers coming to the city per month.

The increase in population demands for the development of new schemes, particularly the establishment of new government schools because these migrants cannot afford to educate their children in privately run schools.

Unfortunately, on one hand the rate of establishing new schools is pretty negligible, as the value of land in Karachi is pretty high while empty government lands are targeted by the specific land mafia, while on the other hand the existing schools are getting poorer day by day. It seems that for the government, the establishment of new government schools is not on the priority list because even in the new residential

171 schemes of the city, no or negligible number of new government secondary schools has been established.

Recommendation

It is suggested that special preference should be given to establish new boys’ secondary schools in the Katchi Abaadi’s (temporary settlements) especially in new residential schemes with foolproof planning so that the drastic effects of illiteracy could be avoided. iii. Family Literacy Programs

Mostly the inputs to government secondary schools is comprised of the slum or less educated, lower social classes which, due to financial constraints, do not consider school education important or cannot keep it in its place.

This study says that education and awareness among the parents is far more important for the child’s academic progress.

Recommendation

It is strongly recommended that family literacy programs with maximum incentives should be initiated with respective departments so that the new generation could be prevented from the negative impacts of their family illiteracy. iv. Selection of Students, Teachers and Dynamic Leadership

The study says that competence of school head significantly correlates with students’ academic achievements. Similar to a body-head relation; school and its head are greatly dependent. It has been observed that young and well qualified heads did better than the old heads of schools with outdated beliefs. However old heads with the emotional quotient ever produce better results.

172 It has been mentioned that the present criteria of admission in schools, appointment of teachers and head teachers lack merit and is highly objectionable.

Recommendation

It is recommended that there must be strict criteria for admission of students in schools according to their age, level, aptitude, ability and other such factors while the teacher must be selected on absolute transparent and healthy selection without the influence of socio-political wings.

Selection of heads on the mere seniority basis needs to be looked with various dimensions, i.e. leadership qualities, physique and health, personality, professional potential and competency, interpersonal and interpersonal and social skills and other related factors preferably through public service commission, because a school head is the most effective change agent.

v. Teacher Oriented Problems and Issues

Though most of the government teachers are blamed for sub-standard, inadequate and condemnable teaching yet mostly there are some specific grounds and complications which are not considered; e.g. without adequate educational environment, resource fulfilment and mental and financial satisfaction it is pretty difficult for teachers to perform perfectly. In the contextual study, the teachers’ service terms/conditions and teachers’ competence have found to be significantly correlated with academic achievements of students. It has been observed that teachers’ are economically and socially struggling for their overall survival. Social status of the teachers’ has declined.

Recommendation

173 It is recommended that a policy of strict merit with maximum accountability should be adopted in the case of teachers especially. Efforts should be made to increase their salaries to a respectable level so that they would be treated as high profile professionals by the society.

vi. Professional Development of Teachers’ and Education Managers

Most of the government teachers are professional trained in addition to that hundreds of thousands of rupees are spent on various refreshable courses and in-service trainings. It is high time to think over the fact that whether we lack trainings or resources? Unfortunately, we have failed to produce resources and follow up programs in this aspect. A well trained solider without a weapon can do nothing against the enemy.

Recommendation

It is suggested that instead of wasting money on traditional trainings; training programs followed by resources and incentives be initiated in the perspective of cost- effectiveness. vii. Curriculum, System of Examination and other Educational Policy

Though the national curriculum is in the process of necessary reforms, yet it has been observed that it is severely criticized since allegedly on the directions of external elements without considering factual positions. It is observed that there is a big gap between pleasing words of document and real time practices in the context of the curriculum, syllabus, scheme of studies, available resources, quality of students, socioeconomic conditions of society and real classroom teaching etc.; they must be adequately bridged.

174 The prevailing examination system has also been severely criticized for its objectivity,

vitality and efficacy which enabled the Cambridge system of examination to flourish

and widening the gap between rich and poor. Particularly in Sindh province, board

examination has become a fun due to inappropriate to and fro policy by the education

and literacy department. Cheating and other malpractices during the board’s

examination are common which must be curbed with revolutionary even bitter

decisions.

It has also been observed that the decisions on education, particularly at the provincial

level have been proved unpopular and unacceptable since they were planned either in

a hurry or without deep study.

Recommendation

It is suggested that serious and mature educational leadership with transparent

background and appropriate team be formed to help the department and negative

political influences be eliminated so that solid and fruitful results be achieved. viii. Education for a Purpose

The present education system is defective in a sense that the products are information

based rather than polished with specific skills. The defect causes unemployment,

wastage of resources, frustration, crime and whatnot. The standard of technical

education is either low or there is a scarcity in the sector.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the policies should be formulated that education should also

serve towards micro to macro level economic stability with full use of resources and

manpower with reference to Agro or an industrial based economy.

175 ix. Overhauling National Educational Trends and Setup

For the last 67 years of our national history; due to lack of political stability; the socioeconomic conditions of the country remained poor, which affected all the national sectors including education.

Rule of the feudalists, capitalists and military produced a difficult situation for the spread of knowledge and education. The wide gap between the rich and poor at one hand facilitated the rich to be richer and on the other hand forced poor to get financial stability by hook or by crook. Consequently, the value of education lagged far behind and parameters have set on the basis of wealth due to which education loving environment couldn’t be created adequately. The diseases like lack of tolerance, extremism, negative orthodox beliefs, frustration, crime, corruption, nepotisms, favoritism, and biased attitude towards class, culture and creed are due to poor literacy and anti-educational approach. Though the present regime is trying hard to revamp various sectors including educational system through various reforms, yet it has to give preference to education sector of the country.

Recommendation

It is suggested that the government should form a dedicated research group on education that could highlight loopholes of the system and its instant remedies. The government should utilize its maximum resources to strengthen educational setup including the spending of optimum funds.

5.2 CONCLUSION

There are the scholastic and socioeconomic factors that influence the performance of secondary school students and the quality education. These factors have been identified as:

176 Scholastic Factors: Teachers’ terms and conditions of service, Teachers’

Competency, Basic Facilities at School, Academic Facilities in schools, Schools Tests and Examinations, Resort to Tuition, Competency of head of School, Admission

Strictness, School Maintenance, School Finance and Location of School.

Socio Economic Factors: Father’s Education, Father’s Occupation, Mother’s

Education, Mother’s Occupation, Household Income, Student’s Residence and

Parents Contact with Teachers.

The significant correlation between these factors with the academic achievements indicate that there is a dire need to take measures to improve the existing situation.

However, there are other related and allied factors to work upon as detailed in the study.

Saving public education system in Karachi is not possible through any miracle; merely traditional commitment and exercises of planning; but the need of the hour is nothing but with political commitment, effective leadership, capacity building, public and private proactive participation and to uplift socio economic standard, merit and professional competencies, exercise of merit and last but not the least is to effort to bring change in overall national behavior towards education; particularly in the ruling strata.

177

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187

Appendix – A

LIST OF SELECTED SCHOOLS

Boys SEMIS S# # NAME OF SCHOOLS CODE 1 1. 408130201 GBHS. 11-F - SECTOR 11-F NEW KARACHI 2 2. 408150189 GBHS. A.U.ISLAMIA - B ROAD USMANIA COLONY NAZIMABAD KA. GBHS. AGRO TEHNICAL NO.1 - GBSS AGRO TECHNICAL NO 1 SHAH FAISAL 3 3. 408090110 COL 4 4. 408040150 GBHS. ALIGARH NO.2 - ALIGARH COLONY ORANGI KARACHI 75800 5 5. 408030100 GBHS. ANGLO URDU - GUJRAT COLONY BALDIA COLONY NO. 3 KAR 6 6. 408110114 GBHS. APWA - KORANGI J-1 AREA KARACHI 74900 7 7. 408160166 GBHS. ASIF MALIR - KALA BOARD MALIR KARACHI 8 8. 408050233 GBHS. B.F CABRAL - B.F CABRAL EMBANKMENT ROAD 9 9. 408090116 GBHS. BALDIA (PROVID) - BALDIA (PROVID)NO1 10 10. 408110122 GBHS. BHS BALDIA - D AREA KORANGI 6 KARACHI 11 11. 408020137 GBHS. BUNDE ALI MUKHI - OLD GOLIMAR KARACHI 12 12. 408070216 GBHS. CDGK BOYS SECONDARY SCHOOL - S.M.C.H.S JAMSHAID TOWN GBHS. CDGK NO 31 L.B.W CDGK BSS NO.31 (LB.W) - GULISTAN COLONY 13 13. 408050257 MADINA MASJID RD 14 14. 408020145 GBHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO ST-02 - OLD GOLIMAR REXER 15 15. 408110130 GBHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO. 2 - 32/D NASIR COLONY KORANGI TOWN 16 16. 408160173 GBHS. CHAMAN FAIZ-E-ALAM - MALIR EXTENSION COLONY 17 17. 408150199 GBHS. CHILDRENS ACADEMY - NAZIMABAD NO 4 18 18. 408140111 GBHS. COMPREHENSIVE NO.2 - AZIZABAD NO 2 BLOCK NO 8 F.B.AREA 19 19. 408100176 GBHS. DAWOOD CHONGI - LANDHI 20 20. 408020135 GBHS. E.A.B ORANGI NO.5 - SECTOR-5 ORANGI KARACHI-41 21 21. 408150173 GBHS. F.C. AREA - FC AREA KARACHI 22 22. 408140115 GBHS. FEDERAL PUBLIC - B-494/13,496/13 F.B AREA 23 23. 408150174 GBHS. GULBERG - GULBERG QASIMABAD LIAQUATABAD 24 24. 408150184 GBHS. HAPPY DALE - 4-F-13/1 NAZIMABAD KARACHI 25 25. 408140116 GBHS. IBRAHIM ALI BHAI - BLOCK 10 F.B AREA KARACHI 26 26. 408020138 GBHS. IBRAHIM ALI BHAI METROVILL - SITE SECTOR-4 METRO-OVILLE SITE 27 27. 408060223 GBHS. IRANIAN G TECHNICAL - MAHABAT KHANJI ROAD KHARADAR 28 28. 408060234 GBHS. IZZAT KHAN KOTWAL BUILDING - BABA E URDU ROAD KARACHI 29 29. 408070186 GBHS. JAIL ROAD - JAIL ROAD KARACHI 30 30. 408110117 GBHS. K.T.S NO.6 - K.T.S NO-6 100 QUARTERS KORANGI 31 31. 408120094 GBHS. KARACHI - NAZIMABAD BLOCK NO.V D/2 NAZIMABAD GBHS. KHATOON-E-EPAKISTAN - CDGK 11/52N GULBERG TWON FB AREA 32 32. 408140121 KARACHI 33 33. 408110123 GBHS. KTS NO.8 - R AREA KORANGI NO 1 1/2 KARAHI-31 34 34. 408170178 GBHS. LABOUR COLONY - LABOUR COLONY LANDHI

188 35 35. 408050225 GBHS. M M SADIQ - AHMED SHAH BAKHARI ROAD KARLI LYARI GBHS. MAJOR ZIAUDDIN ABBASI MEMORIAL - PLOT NO S-T/1 NAZIM ABAD 36 36. 408150183 NO 2 37 37. 408080099 GBHS. MANAK - SHANTI NAGAR KARACHI 38 38. 408060237 GBHS. MARIE COLACO SADDAR - 84 DEPOT LINE SADDAR KARACHI 39 39. 408110118 GBHS. MILLAT KORANGI NO.2 - T AREA KORANGI NO 2 KRACHI NO 31 GBHS. MUHAMMAD HASHIM GAZDAR - BHAWAN STREET, GAZDARABAD 40 40. 408060229 RANCHORE LINE 41 41. 408140117 GBHS. MUSLIM DASTGIR COLONY - 10/15FB AREA KARACHI 42 42. 408180445 GBHS. NASEER GOTH (URDU) - MANGHOPIR ROAD 43 43. 408080104 GBHS. NEW GRAMMER - MUSLIMABAD KARCHI-5 44 44. 408070194 GBHS. NO.1 - JACOB LINES POSTAL CODE 74400 KARACHI GBHS. NO.1 KOTWAL BUILDING - BAB E URDU ROAD OPP DOW MEDICAL 45 45. 408060235 COLLEGE GBHS. NO.2 LYARI QUARTERS - GUL MUHAMMAD LANE LYARI QUARTERS 46 46. 408050235 KARACHI 47 47. 408050228 GBHS. NO.3 LYARI - SHAH ABDUL BHITAI ROAD 48 48. 408070205 GBHS. NOOR PUBLIC - ISLAMAI COLLEGE BUILDING 49 49. 408120095 GBHS. ORIENT PAK - ST-7 BLOCJ A NORTH NAZIMABAD 50 50. 408170179 GBHS. PAF KORANGI CREEK - PAF KORANGI CREEK 51 51. 408160161 GBHS. PAKISTAN PUBLIC - 20/50 SAIFAE MARKET MODEL COLONY KHI 52 52. 408180461 GBHS. PATHAN GOTH - MOIDANDISTRICT MALIR 53 53. 408170183 GBHS. PIR BUX VILLAGE - PIR BUX VILLEGE 54 54. 408060228 GBHS. QAMAR-UL-ISLAM - PUNJAB COLONY 55 55. 408070207 GBHS. QURESHI - ISLAMAI COOLEGE BUILDING M A JINNAH ROA 56 56. 408050229 GBHS. S.M. LYARI - CHAKIWARA KARACHI POST CODE 75660 57 57. 408040152 GBHS. SECTOR NO.14 - ORANGI NO 14 AT 13 G SECTOR 58 58. 408090115 GBHS. SENIOR MODEL SCHOOL - BLOCK NO 5 SHAH FAISAL COLONY 59 59. 408080100 GBHS. SHANTI NAGAR - SHANTI NAGAR 60 60. 408080118 GBHS. SHRAFABAD KARACHI - JAMALUDDING AFGHANI ROAD KARACHI 61 61. 408150177 GBHS. SUPER MARKET - C-1 AREA LIAQUATABAD KARACHI 62 62. 408120101 GBHS. TAMORIYA - ST-7 BLOCK A N. NAZIMABAD, KARACHI 63 63. 408140112 GBHS. THE KARACHI ACADEMY - 12/A JAUHARABAD BLOCK 2FB AREA 64 64. 408080103 GBHS. WHITE HALL - J 505 P I B COLONY 65 65. 408040149 GBHS. ZULFIQAR - 1-C GULSHANABAD ORANGI Girls 66 1. 408160197 GBHS. AKHTER - MALIR EXTENSION COLONYY KARACHI 67 2. 408160201 GBHS. GREEN DALE - OPP LIAQAT MARKET MALIR COLONY 68 3. 408130209 GGHS. 11-D NEW KARACHI - SECTOR 11-D NEW KARACHI 69 4. 408130215 GGHS. 5 - NEW KARACHI - 5 EAT SA/3 NK 70 5. 408130207 GGHS. 5-G NEW KARACHI - 5-G NEW KARACHI 71 6. 408090128 GGHS. AKHTAR - GREEN TOWN KARACHI 72 7. 408160193 GGHS. AMMAR YASIR - JAFFAR E TAYYAR SOCITY 73 8. 408130222 GGHS. APWA - BUS STOP NO 6 5 11-F NEW KARACHI 74 9. 408160188 GGHS. ASIF - MALIR COLONY KARACHI 75 10. 408070242 GGHS. B.M.B - MEHAR E NEEM ROSE BULDING 76 11. 408100191 GGHS. BALDIA C/1 LANDHI - LANDHI NO.2 KARACHI 30

189 77 12. 408100193 GGHS. BALDIA NO.2 36-B LANDHI - AREA 36.B LANDHI 78 13. 408140127 GGHS. BLOCK 20 - BLOCK 20 F.B AREA KARACHI 79 14. 408150211 GGHS. BRIGHT CAREER - TAUFIQ RD. LIAQATABD KARACHI 80 15. 408160194 GGHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO MALIR-01 - JINNAH SQUARE URDU NAGAR 81 16. 408170194 GGHS. CDGK KHULDABAD - BIN QASIM GGHS. CDGK NO.37 L.B.W - WALI M HUSSAIN ALI RD SINGOLANE NEAR 82 17. 408050258 MOMIN MASJID 83 18. 408010057 GGHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO KT-20 - NEAR BADAR GROUND 84 19. 408040164 GGHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO OT-02 - QATTER MORE SECTOR 8 ORANGI TOWN 85 20. 408020157 GGHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO ST-03 - OLD GOLIMAR REXER 86 21. 408100200 GGHS. CDGK SCHOOL NO.SS10 - KORANGI 87 22. 408070231 GGHS. CHIRST THE KING NO.1 - 63 MUSLIMABAD KARACHI 88 23. 408040156 GGHS. COSMOPOLITAN - ALIGARH COLONY NO 2 ORANGI GGHS. DUR MUHAMMAD GOTH - DUR MUHAMMAD GOTH DARSANNO 89 24. 408180449 CHANNO 90 25. 408150220 GGHS. FARQLEET - 1-A2/39 NAZIMABAD KARACHI 91 26. 408060261 GGHS. G.J.M.B.G - BURNS ROAD KARACHI 92 27. 408050254 GGHS. GENUBAI G.ALLANA - GENU BAIG ALLANA 2 GUL MOHD LANE 93 28. 408060247 GGHS. GIZRI CLIFTON - GGSS GIZRI CLIFTON KARACHI GGHS. GULBERG QASIMABAD - SINDHI HOTEL LAST BUS ST 7-H QASIM 94 29. 408150209 ABAD 95 30. 408150219 GGHS. HUSAINI GGSS NAZ - NIZAMABAD NO3 96 31. 408120110 GGHS. IBRAHIM ALI BHAI - BLOCK A NORTH NAZIMABAD 2 ND SHIFT 97 32. 408020148 GGHS. IBRAHIM ALI BHAI ORANGI - ORANGI 5 98 33. 408010180 GGHS. INTELLIGENCE - M T KHAN ROAD SULTANABAD 99 34. 408070224 GGHS. JACOB LINES NO 3 - JACOB LINES NIZAMI ROAD KARACHI 100 35. 408070225 GGHS. JUNIOR MODEL - MODEL NO 1 PECHS KARACHI 29 101 36. 408070236 GGHS. JUT LINE NO.2 - JUTLAND NIZAMI ROAD KARACHI 102 37. 408140137 GGHS. KDA Girls Secondary School - FB Area Block 14 103 38. 408110145 GGHS. KORANGI NO.1 Y AREA KORANGI - KORANGI 1-1/2 AREA 104 39. 408060252 GGHS. MADRASAT-UL-BINAT - JAMILA STREET NOOR MASJID KARACHI 105 40. 408160183 GGHS. MALIR COLONY - NEAR BARAF KHANA MALIR 106 41. 408050250 GGHS. MAZHAR-UL-ULOOM - KHADDA LYARI 107 42. 408110139 GGHS. MILLAT - KORANGI NO 2 KARACHI 108 43. 408150230 GGHS. MOLANA MUHHAMMAD HUSSAIN AZAD - B-1 AREA GGHS. MURAD MEMON SAUDABAD - MURAD MEMON SAUDABAD KARACHI - 109 44. 408160192 37 110 45. 408150225 GGHS. MUSLIM NO.1 - NAZIMABAD 111 46. 408060267 GGHS. NEELAM COLONY - SHAH RASOOL COLONY CLIFTON 112 47. 408070227 GGHS. NISHTAR ROAD - NISHTAR ROAD PAKISTAN QUARTER N/R KARACHI 113 48. 408150205 GGHS. NO 2 LIAQUATABAD NO 9 - C/O GGSS NO 2 LIAQUATABAD NO 9 114 49. 408110131 GGHS. NO.1 KORANGI 6 - GGSS NO 1 KORANGI 6 KARACHI 31 115 50. 408050244 GGHS. NO.2 BEHAR COLONY - 11 BEHAR COLONY 116 51. 408110133 GGHS. NO.4 KORANGI NO 3-1/2 - GGSS NO 4 N AREA 117 52. 408060245 GGHS. P&T COLONY - GGSS P&T COLONY GIZRI KARACHI 6 118 53. 408160189 GGHS. PAKISTAN PUBLIC - MALIR COLONY NEAR LAL MASJID KARACHI 119 54. 408080113 GGHS. PIB KARACHI - PIB KARACHI

190 120 55. 408020149 GGHS. QASBA COLONY - MANGHO PIR ROAD NEAR QASBA MODE 121 56. 408040160 GGHS. RAIS AMROHI - AMROHI ORANGI 122 57. 408070237 GGHS. ROYAL ACADEMY - PATEL PARA JHANGIR ROAD NO 1 KARACHI 123 58. 408160186 GGHS. SAUDABAD NO.2 - SAUDABAD NO 2 MALIR KARACHI 124 59. 408100196 GGHS. SCHOOL NO 7 NOOR MANZIL - NOOR MANZIL LANDHI NO 1 125 60. 408070221 GGHS. SCHOOL NO.2 - CLAYTON ROAD KARACHI 126 61. 408100189 GGHS. SHERWOOD - MUZAFFARABAD LANDHI KARACHI 127 62. 408020150 GGHS. SITE MODEL - SITE MODEL MANGHOPIR ROAD 128 63. 408060258 GGHS. TALEEM GAH-E-NISWAN - ALI DIN ALI MOHD ROAD BEHIND KMC GGHS. WALI MUHAMMAD HAJI YAQOOB - SHAH ABDUL LATIF BHITAI ROAD 129 64. 408050242 LYARI KHI 130 65. 408170192 GGHS. YOUSUF GOTH - YOUSUF GOTH LANDHI BIN QASIM Mixed 131 1. 408130199 GBHS. 11-D NEW KARACHI DISTRICT COUNCIL - 11-D NEW KARACHI 132 2. 408180459 GBHS. ABDUL KARIM - AT ABDULLAH GABOL GOTH SONGAL 133 3. 408080119 GBHS. B.M.B - BEHIND AIR PORT KARACHI 134 4. 408120118 GBHS. CDGK CH REHMAT ALI, BALDIA NNT-15/SS-03 - NORTH NAZIMABAD 135 5. 408170174 GBHS. FEDERAL ENG.NO.1 - VILLAGE UMER MARVI GBHS. HAJI MUREED GOTH SINDHI MEDIUM - HAJI MUREED GOTH FIRDOUS 136 6. 408150234 COLONY 137 7. 408180453 GBHS. JAM MURAD ALI - JAM MURAD ALI GOTH MALIR KARACHI 23 138 8. 408030104 GBHS. LASIPARA BALDIA TOWN - BALDIA TOWN KARACHI 139 9. 408060239 GBHS. MODEL HAQANI - U/C 3 GADAP KARACHI 140 10. 408040166 GBHS. MUJAHID COLONY ORANGI - FAIZ AAM COLONY URDU CHOWK 141 11. 408010188 GBHS. NEW MUJAHID - PLOT 333 ST.8 BL A, AKBER ROAD SHERSHAH 142 12. 408010176 GBHS. PIR MUHAMMAD BHIT - BHIT IRLAND KEMARI TOWN 143 13. 408010185 GBHS. SHAMS PIR - SHAMS PIR ISLAND HAWKS BAY ROAD 144 14. 408130221 GBHS. UP SOICETY - 11-E AT S-B NEW KARACHI

191

Appendix – B

TEACHERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name. 2. Name of School. 3. Sex i. Male ii. Female 4. Age. i. Below 25. ii. 25-35 years iii. More than 36 years. 5. Academic Qualifications B.A/B.Sc/B.Com/B.H.E/M.A/M.Sc/M.Phil/Ph.D 6. Professional Qualification. Untrained/PTC/CT/B.Ed/M.Ed 7. Grade______Designation: JST/HST/any other. 8. Place of residence/Address.______9. Length of service. i. Less than 5 years. ii. Between 5-10 years. iii. Between 10-15 years. iv. More than 15 years. 10. Total Number of students taught. i. Less than 2000 ii. 2001-5000 iii. More than 5000 11. Who is responsible for students reaching school late? i. Students. ii. Parents. iii. Transport system. iv. The school administration. 12. How many parents seek academic information about their children from you? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% More than 75% 13. How many parents help their children with homework? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 14. How many children are dropped at school by their parents? i. Less than 10%

192 ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 15. How many parents take care of their children’s neatness and cleanliness? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 16. Which class of society does the students’ parents belonged to? i. Lower class. ii. Lower middle class. iii. Middle class. iv. Upper Middle class. v. Privileged class. 17. Percentage of students wearing clean uniform? i. Satisfactory clean.______% ii. Ordinary clean______% iii. Unsatisfactory clean______% 18. Percentage of students who complete their homework? i. Fully complete.______% ii. Average standard ______% iii. Absolutely incomplete______% 19. How punctually do your students come to school? i. Regularly ii. Average regularly. iii. Not regularly. 20. How often do you reach school in time? i. Always in time. ii. Often. iii. Sometimes. 21. What were your reason for choosing teaching as a profession i. Patriotic. ii. Academic. iii. Emulative. iv. Professional. v. Others. 22. Which of the following characteristics do you find in your colleagues? i. Devotion. ii. Contentment. iii. Scholarship. iv. Affection towards students. v. Passion service. 23. Are you provided with government accommodations? i. Yes. ii. No. 24. With which punctuality your students come to school? i. All or nearly all students comes school in time. ii. Most of the students; come school in time.

193 iii. Very few students; come school in time.

25. What is the frequency of checking homework? i. Daily. ii. Once a week. iii. Once a month. iv. Less than this. 26. What is the rate of conducting tests in your schools? i. Once a month. ii. Twice a year. iii. Once a year. iv. None. 27. How many parents do you know? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 28. To what extent are students satisfied with your teaching? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 29. Do the parents, of the students (those academically backward) follow teachers’ instructions? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 30. Does the teacher pay individual attention to students? i. Absolutely. ii. To a certain extent. iii. To a lesser extent. iv. Not at all. 31. Is there any arrangement to send progress report to the parents? i. Regular ii. Often iii. Sometimes iv. No Arrangement. 32. Do your students describe academic problems with you? i. Often. ii. Seldom. iii. Never. 33. Are the books easily available in market? i. Easily. ii. Sometimes. iii. Rarely.

194 34. Do you provide notes to your students? i. Often. ii. Some times. iii. Never. 35. Of which class are you the in charge? Class______36. What is the average number of students in each class in your school? i. Over 50 ii. Between 30-50 iii. Up to 30 iv. Below 30 37. Are the following facilities sufficiently available to your students?  or  i. Comfortable desk for students. ii. Appropriate blackboard iii. Airy Rooms. iv. Class Rooms. v. Fan. vi. Suitable Library vii. Well-equipped laboratory according to students demands. viii. Required quantity of apparatus and chemical. ix. Arrangements to meet important personalities. x. Sports arrangement. xi. Essay competitions. xii. Parents’ day celebration. xiii. Audio-Visual aids. xiv. Arrangement of first aid. xv. Transport facilities. 38. Are you engaged in private coaching? i. Yes ii. No. 39. If yes which students do you teach? i. From Your school ii. From other school. 40. How much is your monthly income (will remain confidential) i. Income from salary______ii. Income from tuition______iii. Income from other sources.______

41. What is the ratio of teacher in your school? ______42. What percentage of teachers is satisfied with the academic standards of students in your school? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 43. Who is responsible for the deteriorating standard of education? i. Teachers. ii. Parents.

195 iii. School administration. iv. Multiple factors.

44. How many teachers perform their duties honestly in your school? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 45. Who prescribes books for teaching? i. The government. ii. School administration. iii. Partly. 46. Does the government supply the books or other academic material? i. Yes ii. No 47. If yes then, are the books and such material supplied timely? i. Yes ii. No 48. What is the most common medium of instruction in your school? i. Urdu ii. English iii. Local Language iv. Mixed 49. How many teachers are posted in your school on temporary basis? ______50. What is the service duration of teachers appointed on temporary basis in your school? i. Minimum______ii. Maximum ______51. The year your school was founded? ______52. What is the number of class rooms in your school? ______53. What is the number of student in your school?

54. Are there adequate science laboratories in your school? Yes No 55. Which type of courtyard in your school? Cemented Not cemented. 56. Is there any play ground in your school? Yes No 57. Is there any dispensary in your school for the students? Yes. No. 58. Do you write scripts for magazine or try to update your knowledge through any mean if yes then what?

196 i. Often. ii. Sometimes. iii. Never. ______59. Have you written any text book or contributed towards curriculum development etc? i. Yes ii. No 60. Are the students of your school medically examined? i. Often. ii. Sometimes. iii. Never. 61. What is usual pass percentage of Matriculation students in your school? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 62. Are the students taken for outing to educational excursions? i. Often. ii. Some times. iii. Never. 63. Are scientists, educationists and scholars invited to your school to deliver lectures? i. Yes. ii. No. 64. Are you satisfied with the school administration? i. Often. ii. Some times. iii. Never. 65. Do you receive the salary on the first of the month? i. Often. ii. Some times. iii. Never. 66. Does any inspection authority of schools visit your school? i. Often. ii. Some times. iii. Rarely iv. Never. 67. Is the population of the locality disturbed by the school students? i. Yes. ii. sometimes iii. No. 68. How much fee is paid by the student? ______69. Do you receive other supporting amounts from private or government resources? i. No. ii. Yes (Give its nature) ______70. Is corporal punishment allowed in your school?

197 i. Yes. ii. No.

71. Is a sweeper working in your school on permanent basis? Yes. No. 72. Are you satisfied with the sanitary arrangements? Yes. No. 73. How many students use notes and guide books? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 74. How many students use guess paper? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 75. How many students participate in politics or other such activities disturbing their academic work? i. Less than 10% ii. 10%-25% iii. 26%-50% iv. 51%-75% v. More than 75% 76. Does your school have its own sophisticated library? i. No ii. Yes (please specify the available facilities)______77. Do your school’s students cheat or involve in using unfair means? i. Yes. ii. No. iii. Some times. iv. Frequently. 78. Does your salary make you self-sufficient? i. Yes. ii. No. 79. Do your counterparts try to obtain inadmissible pecuniary from students? i. Yes ii. No iii. Sometimes. iv. Seldom. 80. Does the present examination/ evaluation system suitably judge the capabilities of students? i. Yes. ii. No. 81. Does the present educational system keep pace with future requirement of the children?

198 i. Yes. ii. No. 82. Is the standard of education in your school falling? i. Yes. ii. No. 83. Are you computer literate? i. Yes ii. No 84. Do you have your personal computer? i. Yes ii. No 85. Do you update your knowledge through computer? i. Yes ii. No 86. How long do you use computer daily? i. 1-2 hours ii. 2-3 hours iii. 3-4 hours iv. More than 4 hours 87. Put a  or  after the following statement. a. Govt. is indifferent towards educational institution. b. The school administration operates the school for commercial purposes. c. The school environment is filthy and disgusting. d. Parents don’t pay attention to their children’s studies. e. Parents and students spend most of the time in different amusement and entertainment like radio, TV, VCRs others. f. Most of the students’ ethical conditions declined to unbearable. g. Parents wish to be relived of their duties by admitting their children to schools. h. Ethical conditions of most parents are low. i. Parents are ignored of school conditions. j. Pupils are inclined to theft and damage of school but even remove stealthily few things. k. Teachers are academically weak. l. Good quality, morality and devotion among teachers have disappeared. m. There are very few honest persons in the schools administration. n. Most of the teachers don’t teach devotedly. o. Society doesn’t fulfill its responsibility towards school and children. p. Parents have no time to look after their children. q. Teachers take most interest in private coaching then school teaching. r. Govt. if indifferent towards the proper maintenance of educational institution. s. Most of the teachers adopt this profession for lack of option. t. Children psychological requirement are not taken care of. u. Too many subjects are unnecessary burden on school students. v. Healthy recreational arrangements are negligible. w. Basic facilities of drinking water and toilet facilities are insufficient in school. x. The transport arrangement must be improved.

199 y. Most of the children are victims of social maladjustment. z. Students generally use foul means for success. aa. Printing standard of most of the text books is defective. bb. Textbooks are not available when they are required. 88. Who is responsible for ruining the standard of education? a. Lack of parent’s attention. b. Excessive enrolments of students in schools. c. Insufficient teachers. d. Lack of ability in teachers. e. Lack of interest in teaching works. f. Lack of facilities in schools. g. Weak administration of schools. h. Political instability in the country. i. Social deterioration. j. Mal administration and malpractices in examination.

200

Appendix – C

STUDENTS’ QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name: 2. Father’s Name: 3. Father’s Educational Qualification. ______4. Mother’s Education Qualification ______5. Father’s Source of Income. a. Govt. Service b. Private Service. c. Business. d. Agriculture. e. Others. 6. Father’s monthly income.______7. Does the mother work? a. Yes. b. No. 8. Are your bothers or sisters employed? a. Yes b. No 9. You residential address:______10. Your age: a. 13-16 years. b. 16-19 years. c. More than 19. 11. The nature of your residence is: a. Personal. b. Rented. c. Government accommodation. 12. Accommodation. a. Number of bed rooms. b. Drawing room Yes/No. c. Courtyard. Yes/No d. Garden Yes/No 13. Area of the house: a. Less than 40 square yards. b. 40 to 80 yards c. 120-240 square yards. d. 240-400 square yards. e. More than 400 square yards. 14. Number of family members. a. 1-5 person. b. 6-10 persons. c. More than 10 members.

15. What is the distance between your house and your school? a. 1-5 miles.

201 b. 6-10 miles. c. More than 10 miles. 16. In which class do you study? a. IX b. X 17. Timing of your school: a. Morning b. Afternoon. 18. How do you reach school? a. Father’s conveyance. b. Public transport. c. On foot. d. School bus. 19. How much time do you devote to home study? a. 2-4 hours. b. Less than 2 hours. c. None. d. No need. 20. How often do your parents/ brothers/sisters help you in study? a. Daily. b. Never. c. Study myself. d. They are too busy to help. 21. How often do you parents/brothers/sisters inspect your school’s exercise book? a. Daily. b. Frequently. c. Sometimes. 22. To which extent do your parents/ brothers/ sisters enquire about your progress from your school teacher? a. Often b. Some times. c. Rarely. d. Never. 23. Do you have to bring groceries to your house? a. Yes. b. No. 24. Do you have to do any work of your parents, brothers/ sisters? a. No b. Yes (specify nature of work)______25. Do you have a RADIO/TV/VCR/VCD/COMPUTER etc? a. No. b. Yes (Specify)______

26. How much time do you give to RADIO/TV/VCR/VCD/COMPUTER etc? a. One to two hours. b. 2 to 4 hours c. More than 4 hours. d. Sometimes. 27. Which game do you like?

202 a. Cricket. b. Hockey. c. Squash. d. Soccer. e. Others. 28. Is there any playground near your residence? a. Yes b. No. 29. How much time do you spend in playing? a. Nearly one hour. b. 1-2 hours. c. More than 2 hours. 30. Does any of your friends is involved in antisocial, anti-academic or anti- educational activities/habits (Smoking, playing cards, video games in locality, internet clubs, eve teasing, gambling, etc) a. No b. Yes (Specify the nature) 31. Do you offer pray in the mosque? a. Five times a day. b. Sometimes. c. Never. 32. Who bears your educational expenses? a. Father. b. Mother. c. Brother/Sister. d. Yourself. e. Other sources. 33. Tick  or  at the following facilities at your home? a. Electricity b. Water c. Telephone d. Mobile e. Gas f. Computer g. Any other (specify)______34. Do you study in a coaching centre or take tuition to improve your study? a. No b. Yes (specify nature)______

35. How much time does it take in going from home to school? a. Less than 10 minutes. b. 10 minutes to half and hour. c. Half an hour to 1 hour. d. More than 1 hour. 36. What are your school timings? a. ______37. How is your school structure? a. Constructed for use as a school. b. Constructed for other purpose but is now used as school. 38. Do other schools run in your school premises?

203 a. Yes b. No.

39. Which language is your medium of instruction mostly? a. Urdu b. English c. Sindhi d. Mixed 40. Is any fee/funds charged by your school? a. No b. Yes (Can you afford it? also mention the charges)______41. Do you have to pay other amount to school authorities or your teachers? a. No b. Yes (Describe in brief)______42. Are your books easily available in the market? a. Yes. b. No. 43. Are the books supplied by the government or purchased by you. a. By Government b. Purchased c. Financed by other than the family 44. How many text books do you have to carry to school? a. Number of text books= ______45. What is the average weight of your satchel (school bag/book pack)? a. Average weight of satchel = ______46. How do you carry text books and exercise books? a. In hand b. Cotton/ Leather bag. c. Small attach cases. 47. How do you take your school building? a. Very beautiful. b. Good. c. Ordinary. d. Ugly. 48. How many students are there in your school and class? a. In school______in class______49. How many teachers working there in your school? a. ______50. Who are responsible in deteriorating standard of education?  or  a. Parents’ lack of attention. b. Excessive enrolment of students. c. Lack of academic ability in teachers. d. Less number of teachers in school. e. Teachers’ lack of interest in teaching works. f. Lack of academic facilities in schools. g. Weak administration of school. h. Political instability in the country. i. Maladministration and malpractices in examinations. 51. How far your teachers justified with his profession?

204 a. Most of them are laborious. b. Most of them are business minded. c. Most of teachers suppose it to be a job. d. Most of the teachers do not teach devotedly. e. Most of teachers have no passion with service. 52. What is the academic standard of teachers? a. Most are able. b. Few are able. c. Most are of average standard. 53. How many teachers teach you? a. ______54. How frequently and thoroughly your teachers check your home work? a. Daily. b. Some times. c. Just at a glance. 55. What is the cleaning standard of your school? a. Cleaning standard is high. b. Good. c. iii Bearable. d. iv Cleaning is not good. 56. Whether or not under school arrange (tick for yes and cross for no)? a. Students are taken for picnic. b. Students are taken for educational excursion. c. Expert scientists are invited to deliver lecturers. d. Students are awarded. e. Scientific instruments and chemicals are in sufficient quantity. 57. Do the school’s inspection authorities visit your school? a. No. b. Yes. 58. If yes the how? a. Often b. Sometimes. c. Never. 59. Is corporal punishment allowed in your school? a. Yes b. No c. Some times 60. Do your school teachers teach privately coach his/her own students? a. Yes b. No. c. A few of them d. Most of them 61. For how many years have you been studying in this school? a. ______62. How do you feel about your school? a. Like it too much. b. Not too good. c. Doesn’t look good. 63. Do your teachers advise you to study manuals/guides/extra notes? a. Yes.

205 b. No.

64. Do you participate in political activities or other such activities? a. Yes b. No. 65. What is the pass percentage of your school? a. Usually more than 75% b. 50% to 75% c. Less than 50% 66. Does teacher complete their syllabi? a. Yes b. No. 67. Is there a tendency to cheat in examinations in your school? a. Yes b. No. 68. What percentage of students cheats during examinations? a. 75% b. 50%-75% c. 25% to 50% d. Less than 25% 69. What are the means of cheating during examinations? a. With connivance of the teachers. b. Smuggling of notes. c. With the help of outsiders. d. No cheating. 70. Are there many unannounced holidays in your school? a. Yes. b. No. 71. Is there any regular teaching when the school is open? a. Yes b. No 72. Are the studies interrupted by strikes or other interference? a. Yes. b. No. 73. Are the studies interrupted by the students’ politics/pressure group influence in your school? a. Yes. b. No. 74. Are the following facilities sufficiently available in your school?  or  a. Comfortable desks. b. Appropriate black boards. c. Airy rooms. d. Class rooms. e. Suitable library. f. Well equipped laboratory. g. Sufficient science material. h. Social events. i. Sports arrangements. j. Essay competitions. k. Parents’ day’s celebrations.

206 l. Audio visual aids. m. First aid. n. Transport facilities. 75. Do your teachers take sufficient care of your training? a. Very much. b. Not much. c. Remains unconcerned. 76. Do your teachers allow you to ask questions in the class? a. A few allow. b. A few don’t allow. 77. How do your teacher teach you? a. By dictating notes. b. By oral teaching/lecturing. c. Not giving any instruction at all. 78. How is the discipline in your school? a. Very strict. b. Fairly strict. c. Relaxed. 79. Is parents’ day celebrated in your school? a. Yes b. No. 80. Put a tick mark against each of the following correct statement: a. Government is indifferent towards educational institutions. b. The school administration operates school for their own purposes. c. The school environment is filthy and disgusting. d. Teachers are academically weak. e. Dedication and devotion among teachers have disappeared. f. Most of the teachers seek benefits. g. Society doesn’t fulfill its responsibilities towards school children. h. Teachers do not take interest in teaching. i. Teachers take more interest in private coaching than teaching in class. j. Parents have no time to look after their children’s studies. k. Students do not study attentively in class. l. The standard of English medium school is better. m. Overcrowding take place in class rooms. 81. Is the number of teachers in accordance with the number of subject and classes? a. Yes/ No. b. There is disproportion. 82. Is the present system of education in accordance with the educational needs of children? a. Yes b. No. 83. Write down any complain against your teacher or school. a. ______84. Please write down the drawbacks in the present education system. a. ______

207

Appendix – D PARENTS’ QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name (will remain confidential). 2. Age. i. Between 30-40 ii. 40-50 years. iii. 50-60 years. iv. More than 60 years. 3. Educational Qualifications: Illiterate/ Primary/ Matric/ B.A/ B.Sc/ B.Com/ B.H.E/ M.A/ M.Sc/ M.Phil/ Ph.D/ others ______4. Your spouse’s academic qualification. Illiterate/ Primary/ Matric/B.A/B.Sc/B.Com/B.H.E/M.A/M.Sc/M.Phil/P.h.d/others ______5. Your dependent family members. Sons______, Daughter,______, other relatives______servants. 6. What is your source of income? i. Government service. ii. Private iii. Business. iv. Agriculture. v. Other. 7. Does your wife have any source of income? i. Yes. ii. No. 8. What is your monthly income? (Will be kept confidential)? ______9. In which locality do you live? ______10. Do you have a personal residence in Karachi? i. Yes. ii. No. 11. Which type of residence you live in? i. Government. ii. Personal. iii. Rented. 12. How many rooms are there in your house? i. Number of Bed Rooms______Yes/No ii. Drawing Rooms ______Yes/No iii. Courtyard. ______Yes/No iv. Garden. ______Yes/No 13. Area of the house? i. Less than 100 square yards. ii. 100 square yards. iii. Between 100-200 square yards.

208 iv. 200-400 square yards. v. More than 400 square yards. 14. What is the distance between your house and your work place? i. Less than 1 mile. ii. 1 mile to 5 miles. iii. 5-10miles. iv. 11-20 miles v. More than 20 miles. 15. How do you go from your place of work and vice versa? i. On foot. ii. Personal conveyance. iii. Office transport. iv. Colleague’s transport. v. Public transport. 16. When do you awake? i. 5 am. ii. 6 am. iii. 7 am iv. 8 am 17. How much time do you spend in preparation for going to place of work? i. Nearly half an hour. ii. Nearly a hour. iii. More than 1 hour. 18. When do you take your breakfast? i. 7 am ii. 8 am iii. 9 am 19. Time spend in going to your work place? i. 15 minute ii. 30 minute iii. 45 minute iv. More than an hour. 20. What are your work/business hours? i. 6 hours ii. 8 hours iii. 12 hours iv. More than 12 hours. 21. When do you go to bed? i. 9 pm ii. 10 pm iii. 11 pm iv. After 11 pm 22. Are you a member of any club? i. No ii. Yes iii. Yes; More than 1 club 23. Do you take interest in political activities? i. No. ii. Normally and Some times. iii. Deeply interested.

209 24. How many friends do you have? i. Very few ii. Some iii. Many 25. Which of the following creational activities/games do you like? i. Cards ii. Chess iii. Hockey iv. Football v. Badminton. vi. Other (Please specify)______26. What is the age of your child? i. 13-15 years ii. 16-19 years iii. More than 19 years 27. How frequently do you visit school to obtain academic information of your child? i. Once a month. ii. To a lesser extent. iii. Only on teachers’ call. 28. How much time do you spend with your child for his studies daily? i. Less than an hour ii. Nearly two hours. iii. More than two hours. iv. None. 29. Do you feel that your child needs your personal guidance? i. Yes ii. No. 30. Do you remind your child to study? i. Always. ii. Often iii. Some times iv. Never. 31. Does your child seem your help in connection with school work? i. Never ii. Always. iii. Some times. 32. Does your child relate school experiences into his/her own or your life? i. Always. ii. Often iii. Some times iv. Never. 33. Do your child’s friends come for combined studies? i. Always. ii. Often iii. Some times iv. Never. 34. How much is the monthly pocket money of your child? i. Less than 100 ii. 100 to 200

210 iii. 201 to 300 iv. More than 301 35. Name of the school where you child studies? ______36. In which class does your child study? ______37. The numbers of subjects does your child study? ______38. How much amount do you spend on his stationery? i. Less than 100 ii. 100 to 200 iii. 201 to 300 iv. More than 301 39. How much is the monthly tuition fee of your child? ______40. What is the study timing of your child? ______41. Who looks after the children? i. You ii. Your wife iii. Brothers iv. Sisters. 42. Which game(s) does your child like? (Name of the games) ______43. Is there any arrangement of private tuition for your children? i. Yes. ii. No. iii. Occasionally. 44. How much private coaching/ tuition fee you pay for your child other than school? ______Does your child work part time basis? i. Yes. ii. No. iii. Occasionally 45. How are your children accommodated? i. A separate room for each child. ii. One for all the children. iii. Separate rooms for sons and daughters. 46. How long does your child help you in daily works? i. 1-2 hours ii. 2-4 hours daily. iii. More than 4 hours. 47. Who delivers household goods? i. Yourself. ii. Your child. iii. Wife. iv. Everybody. 48. Does your child participate in games? i. Yes ii. No.

211 iii. Sometimes iv. Always. 49. Does your child take interest in political or other than educational activities? i. Yes ii. No. iii. Sometimes iv. Always. 50. Do the teachers check your child’s exercise books? i. Yes ii. No. 51. If yes then how? i. Only sign over them. ii. Complete correction. iii. Correction to a certain extent. iv. No correction at all. 52. Are you satisfied with the performances of teachers? i. Yes ii. No. iii. Sometimes iv. Always. 53. How often does your child seek your help? i. Yes ii. No. iii. Sometimes iv. Always. 54. Are you satisfied with the performance of child’s teachers? i. Yes ii. No. iii. Sometimes iv. Always 55. Are there any arrangements for providing following facilities to your child? i. Sports. ii. Cultural activities. iii. Scouting. iv. Newspapers and magazines. v. Excursions. vi. Physical check ups. vii. Parents – Teachers coordination. 56. Does your child participate in school union activities? i. Yes ii. No. iii. Sometimes iv. Always. 57. Is the standard of teaching falling or not? Yes. No. 58. If the standard of education is declining, who is responsible for this? i. Parents’ lack of attention. ii. Excessive enrolment of students. iii. Lack of academic ability in teachers.

212 iv. Less number of teachers in school. v. Teachers’ lack of interest in teaching works. vi. Lack of academic facilities in schools. vii. Weak administration of school. viii. Political instability in the country. ix. Maladministration and malpractices in examinations. x. Insufficient teachers. 59. Do you remember what percentage of marks your child had obtained in the previous class? Yes. No. 60. Which medium of instruction do you favour? English, Urdu, Local Language. 61. Do you feel that the present education system is keeping pace with the future requirements of children? Yes. No. 62. Are you satisfied with the performance of the national system? Yes. No. 63. Which of the following statements are correct? (Please  or ) i. Govt. is indifferent towards educational institution. ii. The school administration operates the school for commercial purposes. iii. The school environment is filthy and disgusting. iv. Parents don’t pay attention to their children’s studies. v. Parents and students spend most of the time in different amusement and entertainment like radio, TV, VCRs others. vi. Most of the students’ ethical conditions declined to unbearable. vii. Parents wish relived their duties by admitting their children to schools. viii. Ethical conditions of most parents are low. ix. Parents are ignored of school conditions. x. Pupils are inclined to theft and damage of school but even remove stealthily few things. xi. Teachers are academically weak. xii. Good quality, morality and devotion among teachers have disappeared. xiii. There are very few honest persons in the schools administration. xiv. Most of the teachers don’t teach devotedly. xv. Society doesn’t fulfil its responsibility towards school and children. xvi. Parents have no time to look after their children. xvii. Teachers take most interest in private coaching then school teaching. xviii. Govt. if indifferent towards proper maintenance of educational institution. xix. Most of the teachers adopt this profession for lack of option. xx. Children psychological requirement are not taken care of. xxi. Too many subjects are unnecessary burden on school students. xxii. Healthy recreational arrangements are negligible. xxiii. Basic facilities of drinking water and toilet facilities are insufficient in school. xxiv. The transport arrangement must be improved. xxv. Most of the children are victims of social maladjustment. xxvi. Students generally use foul means for success.

213 xxvii. Printing standard of most of the text books is defective. xxviii. Textbooks are not available when they are required. 64. Write down major faults in the present educational system. i. Lack of parents’ attention. ii. Excessive enrolments of students in schools. iii. Insufficient teachers. iv. Lack of ability in teachers. v. Lack of interest in teaching works. vi. Lack of facilities in schools. vii. Weak administration of schools. viii. Political instability in the country. ix. Social deterioration. x. Mal administration and malpractices in examination. xi. Any other (please briefly quote)______

214

Appendix – E

RATING PROFORMA

Name of School:

Name of Rater with designation and contact #:

S. Name of the characteristics (for Rating (1 for the best 11 for the #. rating) worst) Teachers’ Terms and Condition of 1 Service 2 Teachers’ Competency 3 Basic Facilities In School 4 Academic Facilities in school 5 School Test and Exams 6 Resort to Tuition 7 Competence Of Head(of school) 8 Admission Strictness 9 School Maintenance 10 Schools’ Finance 11 Location of Schools 12 Fathers’ Education 13 Fathers’ Occupation 14 Mothers’ Education 15 Occupational Status of Mothers’ 16 Household Income 17 Residence of Students 18 Parents’ Contact

215

Appendix – F

REQUEST LETTER TO COMPETENT AUTHORITY, TO CARRY OUT RESEARCH

The Executive District Officer Education City District Government, Karachi

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR THE PERMISSION TO CARRY OUT RESEARCH STUDY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL OF KARACHI.

Respected Sir/Madam,

I beg to submit that I have been working in Education Department, Government of Sindh for the last 18 years; and at present working as a senior officer in the department completing my Ph.D from Hamdard University Karachi with the departmental permission. Sir/Madam, I have completed my course work and my topic of research study for dissertation/thesis has been approved as “A Study of the Significant Factors Affecting the Academic Achievements of Government Secondary Schools, Karachi” (copy of approval letter is attached); under the supervision of Dr. Syed Abdul Aziz and Dr. Nasir Sulman, Associate Professor, Department of Special Education, University of Karachi. Sir/Madam, my research work includes collecting and processing of data from various government schools through serving questionnaires to Teachers, Parents and Students of targeted schools based on pedagogical factors in addition to get 18 characteristics rated about specific government schools; from senior educators (specimen attached). Sir/Madam, I will be grateful if formal permission letter to carry out contextual research studies is issued to me; which will Insha Allah be productive for the whole of the department. Thank you Sir/Madam Signed (AFTAB AHMED SHAIKH) Ph.D. Research Scholar (Education), Hamdard University Karachi, Pakistan Senior Education Officer, Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh

216

Appendix – G

REQUEST LETTER FOR RATERS

Dated: ______The District Education Officer(s) (Male/Female) Secondary and Higher Secondary, City District Government, Karachi

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR RATING GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL ON 18 CHARACTERISTICS

Dear Sir/Madam Assalam-o-Alaikum,

Hope you will hale and healthy and contributing your best to maintain rather uplifting the standard of education at your level through your dynamic capabilities polished with unmatchable experience in the field of education. Sir/Madam, I am doing research studies on the topic of “A Study of the Significant Factors Affecting the Academic Achievements of Government Secondary Schools, Karachi”; which is a part of my studies towards obtaining the degree of Ph.D. and hopefully contribute positively towards the educational standard of contextual schools. Sir/Madam, in connection with my studies; I need to some raters to rate sample schools against pedagogical traits/ characteristics (list of schools and rating proforma are attached). It will be highly appreciated if the names of at least 36 raters (one male and female from each town) are identified meeting with the following criteria: i. The rater must be having at least having post graduate degree with a degree in education, ii. Having least 3 (three) years’ experience in school/town/district administration iii. Having sufficient knowledge and well versed about sample schools’ affairs located in Karachi

Believing you as a seasoned educationist and keen observer of the context; I would like to request you to kindly extend your maximum cooperation regarding filling up the attached proforma for which I shall be grateful to you. Thanks,

Signed (AFTAB AHMED SHAIKH) Ph.D. Research Scholar (Education), Hamdard University Karachi, Pakistan Senior Education Officer,

217 Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh Appendix – H

REQUEST LETTER TO HEADS OF SAMPLE SCHOOLS REGARDING FILLING UP OF QUESTIONNAIRE

Mr./Ms.______Dated: ______School Head, Government ______(Boys/Girls) Secondary School, Karachi.

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR FILLING UP THE QUESTIONNAIRES FROM TEACHERS/STUDENTS/PARENTS

Dear Sir, Assalam-o-Alaikum!,

Sir, I am doing research studies on the topic of “A Study of the Significant Factors Affecting the Academic Achievements of Government Secondary Schools, Karachi”; which is a part of my studies towards obtaining the degree of Ph. D. and hopefully contribute positively towards the educational standard of contextual schools.

Sir, in connection with my studies, your school has been selected as a sample and in this regard; I need to get input from teachers, students and parents through separate questionnaires (attached) on the following criteria:

i. Teachers’ questionnaire is to be filled by two senior most HSTs with minimum qualification as Bachelor (B.Sc/B.A/B.Com or equivalent with B.Ed), 5 years teaching experience to teach grade IX/X, good academic results in last three years ii. Students’ questionnaire is to be filled Two prefects/monitors or students of grade X with at least 60% marks in previous class i.e. grade IX iii. Parents’ questionnaire is to be filled by two parents/guardians of the same prefects/monitors or students of grade X or members of SMC who are educated, active and well versed in school and education related affairs.

May I also request you for an early return of the filled questionnaires within 15 days time please. Thanks, Signed (Aftab Ahmed Shaikh) Ph.D. Research Scholar (Education), Hamdard University Karachi, Pakistan

218 Senior Education Officer

Appendix - I

Census 2011-12 -SEMIS-Reform Support Unit Education and Literacy Department

Schools : Gender, Level, Location and Status wise District : Karachi City Urban Area Rural Area Total Schools School- School- Functional Closed Total Functional Closed Total Functional Closed Total Gender Level

Boys Secondary 243 4 247 11 - 11 254 4 258

Girls Secondary 242 4 246 12 - 12 254 4 258

Mixed Secondary 39 1 40 17 - 17 56 1 57

Total Secondary 524 9 533 40 - 40 564 9 573

Schools with Affected / Damages Status : Gender and Level wise

District : Karachi City Schools Affected / Damages with Number of Schools

School- School- Multiple of Damages/ Flood Rain IDP No Info Not Damages Total Schools Gender Level These Affected

Boys Secondary - 4 1 - 6 11 247 258

Girls Secondary - - - - 6 6 252 258

Mixed Secondary - - 1 - 3 4 53 57

Total Secondary - 4 2 - 15 21 552 573

Schools : Medium and Shift wise District : Karachi City

Schools by Medium Schools by Shift School- School-Level Urdu Sindhi English Mixed Total Morning Afternoon Both Total Gender Boys Secondary 226 11 4 17 258 149 104 5 258 Girls Secondary 235 11 1 11 258 206 49 3 258 Mixed Secondary 31 17 3 6 57 35 21 1 57 Total Secondary 492 39 8 34 573 390 174 9 573

219

Enrolment : Gender, Level and Class Stage wise District: Karachi City

Boys Enrolment Class Stages wise Girls Enrolment Class Stages wise

Grand XI Total I to VI to VI to XI to School-Level Kachi IX to X to Total Kachi I to V IX to X Total V VIII VIII XII XII

163,5 Secondary 45 748 35,145 27,970 84 63,992 720 3,067 57,655 37,593 559 99,594 86

Teachers : Level and Type of Post wise District : Karachi City

Teaching Staff by Type of Post

Teacher School- Govt. Govt. ESRA/ Other Not Grand SMC NCHD UNICEF Volunteer Gender Level Regular Contract USAid Donor Provided Total

Male Secondary 2,495 90 9 - 7 - 13 - 3 2,617

Female Secondary 5,677 292 6 - 9 2 28 - 50 6,064

Total Secondary 8,172 382 15 - 16 2 41 - 53 8,681

Teachers : Gender and Professional Training wise District : Karachi City Teaching Staff by Professional Training wise Grand Teacher- School-Level PTC C.T B.Ed M.Ed Other Untrained Not Provided Total Gender

Male Secondary 97 368 1,137 456 406 34 119 2,617

Female Secondary 224 648 3,943 842 246 22 139 6,064

Total Secondary 321 1,016 5,080 1,298 652 56 258 8,681

Schools Building Facilities : Gender and Level wise

District : Karachi City Schools by Building School- School- Govt. Ownership Other Total Total No. of Gender Level Rental Ownership Satisfa Repair Dange No Schools Classrooms ctory able rous Info Boys Secondary 6 99 115 19 3 16 258 3,566 Girls Secondary 5 121 97 23 3 9 258 3,977 Mixed Secondary 1 23 24 3 - 6 57 657

220 Schools with Advance Facilities : Gender and Level wise District : Karachi City Schools having / Received Facilities of

Functional Free Construction Girls School-Gender School-Level Schools SMC Textbooks Works Stipends

Boys Secondary 258 244 240 56 4

Girls Secondary 258 255 242 49 219

Mixed Secondary 57 55 51 11 28

Total Secondary 573 554 533 116 251 Total Secondary 12 243 236 45 6 31 573 8,200

Schools with Basic Facilities : Gender and Level wise District : Karachi City Schools having Basic Facilities Schools having School- School- Schools Gender Level Drinking Boundary Science Electricity Toilets Playground Library Water Wall Lab

Boys Secondary 258 217 232 204 241 142 92 212

Girls Secondary 258 228 245 227 254 168 66 166

Mixed Secondary 57 40 53 40 52 31 9 37

Total Secondary 573 485 530 471 547 341 167 415

Furniture and Fixtures Including Computers District : Karachi City School- Student Student Student Teachers Teachers School-Gender Fans Computers Level Chairs Desks Benches Tables Chairs Boys Secondary 1,907 31,800 1,738 1,448 5,641 4,148 563 Girls Secondary 4,866 43,829 4,433 2,180 5,826 5,302 711 Mixed Secondary 1,003 5,748 336 272 1,061 793 111 Total Secondary 7,776 81,377 6,507 3,900 12,528 10,243 1,385

221

Appendix- J

Screenshot of BSEK Result Database Module

222

Appendix - K

Screenshot of BSEK Result Query

223

Appendix - L

Screenshot of SEMIS Database Module about Govt. Schools

224