Academia is boring, studying is tedious and degrees are useless. Kids go to school or college to socialise and hang out with their friends, flirt with girls (if you’re privileged enough to go to a liberal, co-ed school) and to avoid spending all day at home being shamed by their families into getting a job.
Now, I have no problem with these bright-eyed few who equate to future greatness. I’d just like to point out that they are sorely mistaken if they think their hard work matters. Because in Pakistan, we don’t care about education. We pay lip service like every other country (good politics), but we don’t do anything about it (great politics). After all, why bother doing something about a ‘problem’ no one cares about.
Firstly, the numbers speak for themselves. We spend more on a single piece of military hardware than our entire education budget; budget for defense is Rs 442 billion versus Rs 34.5 billion for education. It’s a good thing that foot soldiers are cheap and largely uneducated.
Secondly, contrary to popular opinion, having a wall full of degrees doesn’t make you successful. It means you spent a lot of money and time in the hope that people will find it impressive. If one wants to succeed in Pakistan, you need contacts and friends in high places
From a financial stand point, all our political head honchos are a raging success, and they did it without that measly piece of paper that everyone contends has value. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn’t need one either. Education does not equate to success or measure ability, it measures time wasted, opportunities lost.
I am tired about hearing how much untapped ‘talent’ there is in Pakistan. Now if there was so much talent, you’d think they’d be doing more with it. But they are not. In the unlikely scenario that this youth is more talented than your average vegetable, what haven’t done much other than complain about everything?
Pakistan is an agricultural economy. We grow stuff. We don’t make computer chips. If you gave an average Pakistani farmer a fistful of $1000 Pentium chips, he’d dump them in his fields and try to grow it and when that doesn’t work; he’ll blame the fertiliser company, the government and the Zionists. We don’t need more computer science majors; we need people to work the fields and drive those government subsidised tractors. Besides a computer programmer would make for a terrible farmer, unless of course, he plays Farmville.
An uneducated electorate equals a subservient electorate. No Pakistani politician has ever democratically won his seat thanks to the 0.5% privileged, rabble-rousing educated segment of the population. They win because of the masses that are illiterate. Political parties have a greater scope to fool the masses if they haven’t been taught how to think.
So, let’s stop pretending that education really matters. Over half our country is illiterate and they seem to be doing alright. There aren’t any revolutionaries threatening to break down doors of parliament demanding things like good governance neither do we have any pictures of famine on the front pages of any newspapers. Things are A-OK.
In Pakistan degrees don’t matter. There, I said it. We don’t need education. Well, let’s be generous and say we don’t need any more education (wouldn’t want those feisty ghost schools to go out of business). Why bother investing in education when you can invest in bombs, bullets and government perks? No one care about your degree. At least not in Pakistan.
Murtaza Ali Jafri is a Karachi-based banking professional and blogger. He believes in free markets and freedom, and wishes men could get more of the latter.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
great written sir but if u talk about these pak leaders than how we can expect that they will expand budget
on education beside that they all iltrates and they want to be iltrat this nation also becouse they know if they remove iltracy means they remove them salves from power. Answer is simle of ur question that the only solution is revolution even may be blood revolution most apropriat
well i totally agree with you murtuza sir after all its enough now as the political leaders of khyber pakhtunkhwa have uttered at certain interviews that ” a degree is a degree whether bogus or correct and politics has no connection to graduation at all ” what a shameful synopsis it was ?????? well ! whatsoever is going in pakistan is not a game played by one or two; its a team work of thousands of corrupt leaders including oppositions of pakistan ,,, fresh talent is thirsty to come and serve the nation but they can’t be at that platform as the seats in assemblies are already reserved for laymans,
@ at kaka it was not khuber pukhtonkhuwa leader who said degree is degree whether fake or real,,, it was Baluchistan Chief Minister who said those golden words.
The only thing that the author can be appreciated for is sarcasm. Keeping aside the issue of fake degrees,the significance of education in reshaping a typical Pakistani mindset cannot be denied. However it is important to realise the art of effective education, education that will pave the way towards the better.
Also whoever is investing in education to impress others is certainly wasting time as well as money.
it means that v (students) should step out from the world of education and go ahead towards vandalism ??
Hahaha simply awesome ………..[:D]
Well Ignoring–Degree is not that simple as it sounds like. But in fact it is the negation of soul, commitment, enthusiasm, passion which is paid by the individuals for their Academic –achievement. This imbalanced approach could have resulted in frustration, dissatisfaction and anxiety in society.
I feel that this issue of fake degrees gone too far, it had brought bad image of our country . In my humble view , the HEC has no authority over foreign University degree given on basis of of previous work experience, these degree are usually authenticated by US States Dept , through various process/documents/ rules & regulation. It is legal documents, how can HEC refused to accept these credential.
An interesting article which is highlighting a shameful reality of our LEADERS. These guys are ruling a big nation who can’t even cheat well.
It is not a surprising news that why our educational budget is much lower. How we can hope that they give importance to education? when they them self are not aware of this powerful tool. Their aim is to keep people of Pakistan in ignorance and darkness.
I hope we can find some doctors and engineers as well with fake degrees. Authority must terminate them but i hope who has this power also get fake degree from University of this and that. :p
GOD bless Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad
There are two types of students in Pakistan, one who is poor but wanted to get education for his livlihood. The other one student who is rich, don’t want to waste time in getting education but interested to get fake degrees to achieve the target of his lavishly life. Second type of students always arranged their higher seats either through their corrupt families or through the influence of their families, these kind of students you can see either in the assemblies or in the armed forces or in Pakistan Embassy in foreign countries.
These corrupt families exist all over the world as well.
hahahahahhaha… although i disagree with some lines in between… but an utterly TAFREEH piece of writing to read…!!!
it is the bitter truth and tragic ,how people’s investment in education doesn’t pay off in Pakistan.i have seen people working at great places., solely because they had “contacts”.A rich social network is what matters now!!
it is really terrifying , when enthusiasm of college years is thwarted like anything as you enter the professional life..it seems years and years of life were wasted for nothing….ive just completed my 16year education…im shocked to see the person me n my ‘talent’ is immaterial ..
I believe in current days degree is just like a piece of paper,not more than that. Actual knowledge lies inside a man,not in a written piece of paper. But it is like a status symbol like other abnormalities. what we can do. we have to follow the society rule if we wish to live in this society. It is not possible for an individual to change it but demands a collective effort.
However degree is in las a piece of paper carry lot of importance at the time of job and today’s politics.
Funny piece, liked it:)
Mr.Jaffery very strange that you deny the efficacy of Education. Parliament is a Supreme authority to frame laws and regulations which become part of the constitution. If the Politician become MNA and MPA on the basis of fake degrees then it is hard to understand as to how the will perform their duties in the parliament in framing the Laws and making very vital decisions which may affect the country’s future.The notion that they are elected by illiterate people does not imply that the persons whom they elect are also illiterate. I think the policy of Musharraf Government turned out to be good as it at least brought in lime light a few faces of morally bankrupt politicians, before the public, who voted for them.
He is commenting on the low value that society places on education (defense budget being 13 times that of education budget is a perfect example of this). Simultaneously he is commenting on the hypocrisy of requiring MNAs to be a graduate.
very enjoyable Murtaza as usual
fascinating article which has true presence and picture of our society. one can see more uneducated successes and ideals than those lifting their degrees high!
Are you serious, is it sarcasm or facts?
From your tone, many people may believe that you are just stating facts.
Unfortunately, very true. Nice satire.
Bhayya, All is well? Not just 3 Idiots, many more.
Well I pretty much agree with Murtaza. Fours years back when I entered the my university life with the most prestigious education institutions in Pakistan I was highly enthusiastic about my major and was brimming with huge expectations. Now when I look back I don’t understand what sort of Lalaland I used to belong earlier. After graduation I realized that the job market is totally lull, not just because of the recession, but also because Pakistan has no genuine scope for research and development. There is no platform to excel as a research or design engineer. One can only be hired as a maintenance engineer in Pakistan and can only advance in a managerial capacity and that too if one has good contacts. Having published several research papers internationally I see myself totally misfit in the current local industry since it is not what the local organizations demand. Now, let me be clear on this. I am not being cynical or pessimistic here. I genuinely believe the problem lies within proper planning and lack of connectivity between the industry and educational institutions. For example, we see telecom engineers spawning like every year from everywhere but there is a total stagnation when it comes to the telecom industry.
America plans to spend 1.5 billion dollars per year in the private sector. I wonder how much of the spending is being used to revamp schools, colleges & universities in Pakistan.
I THINK education or degree is important if it is able to train minds to think logically & with patience. Some folks do have the critical mind ability in the genes, and some are street smart, nonetheless. Nonetheless, the abilty to think thoroughly & produce reports is more likely to be gotten through formal & quality education.
Students with degrees from top, second, third & fourth tiers have to go through rigorus standards in American to earn their degrees.
The proof lies in the fact that graduates from the lower tier schools are able to enter higher tier schools for Masters, Ph.D or professional degrees like MD, JD, DDS, Nursing.
By the way, though JD stans for Doctor of Juris, the actual time spent is only two years, compared to the average of 4 to 5 years to earn Ph.D, MD, DDS.
Mr. jafri
i dont think that u r doing a betterment of a country by suggesting people not to get degree and be a farmer. now-a-days even a farmer needs education for good hervesting
Oh. come on!!! This is criticism. He is not discouraging people rather opening thier dusty eyes. He has rightly pointed out.
it was sarcasm, as in in Pakistan whatever education you have family and friend contacts matter more which is unpractical and will ultimately lead to incompetence.
and you tend to change that from education? just yesterday only i was at a village of a person who works for me near Islamabad, the father of the said person was a farmer, an old aged man. out of his 6 sons none of them work at the the fields because they somewhat got educated and have jobs in Islamabad, 4 of them don’t live in the farm because it’s far away from work? my point if a person is educated he’d know more and more then to be a farmer, e.g a doctor, engineer, accountant? but what i know is if they had been on the farm they’d be making more money and since they were brought up in the farm their experiences would be more inclined towards farming, hence they’d be better at it, in my experience at least.
A question.
Hypothetically we suppose the whole of Pakistan is educated, who will drive your buses, who will work at the fields, who will work in factories? or you may suggest a “Masters degree in bus driving”?
There is such a thing as witty sarcasm which aims to educate but this is just pointless criticism. Jaffery’s not doing the country a favour nor is he doing anyone a favour with this type of mindless writing! Maybe some people think it’s cool to have mindless criticism.
An interesting viewpoint and mindset. An appropriate name for this article may be “Poor and Backward. And how to stay that way”. Indeed, if we throw away the cloak of education, we’ll be left bare naked harvesting potatoes.
The reason that you have put forward is totally correct, this is what happens really in pakistan when you get more degrees. No one cares!!!!
A wandering soul said; Education is not learning. It is the Exercise and Development of the Powers of the Mind. There are two great methods by which this end may be accomplished. It may be done in the Halls of Learning or in the Conflicts of Life. Today it is easy to trade in the Halls of Learning on Buy-Sell method Stock or Bond that suits their Pocket. Decorate the walls with various Degrees and land a job in the Parliament-Senate or Advisor.
Only those with moral courage choose the road that sways with Conflicts and with passage of time Learn and Experience the art of Learning that not only helps them Develop their Minds but they also help others. Unless we close down these Foreign imposed Commercial Universities, schools and Colleges, And establish a universal system of education from Primary to Class Eighth. From their Students are made to take Aptitude Tests and by assessing their Interest in a particular subject vet the result and tell the parents what is best for their money and their Child’s future.
I’ll just comment on ‘It’s a good thing that foot soldiers are cheap and largely uneducated.’
1. Soldiers are not cheap, an average foot soldier may cost over Rs 100k per month.
2. All foot soldiers are atleast metric, whereas soldiers in tech corps are usually FA.
3. atleast 10% soldiers are BA, and 100% officers are graduate
Though these are just estimates, but reasonably accurate
Loved it Mr jaffery
Well i think the blogger spent quite a lot of time in explaining and writing things that has been said and explained by many people since last 5-10 years
Every one is good in talking about the problem, no-one talks about solution.
Do we really think that spending less on defence budget will help making things good ? Come on guyz/galls, even if some one gives us a mountain full of gold/minerals, we are sure to waste it as we all are senseless and feeling less nation. We dont know how and where to spend, at least our leaders doesnt know. What they know is how to fill their bank accounts, who cares about public
Quality education should be and must be there, even if people are roaming jobless.
Solution No. 1 – Eridicate corrupt & corruption….But how? I do not want to share because you all will colour me negative person!!!
Awesome, I am Fan of your blogs!
Totally agreeing with the writer. I would also like to suggest since there is a lot of “talent” in Pakistan, things should be done to recognize these talented people. for example, a carpenter, who hand engraves any sort of furniture, or kaam ka kapra for women. you wouldn’t just go to anyone for it, just the person you trust to do the right job probably because you have seen his work before or heard about it from someone, though there might be a lot of other potential talented people who might do the same job, or are better at it. since degrees and certifications matter so much, maybe these people should be given an opportunity to certify themselves through a body on a government level. that might just create a demand for them internationally, and their hard work is sold for the amounts they deserve.
The sarcasm in this article shows the true one side of the coin but that doesn’t change anything.
Instead of writing these articles our banker friend should focus on showing the positive point. I agree he kept the point focused on education and politics within Pakistan but the positive point is that someone, somewhere is trying to open the eyes of these partial ‘illiterate’ partial literate people, who select these politicians and provide ‘respectfully’ the reins of our political, economical and social system. i am not against the author here but to the general public as a whole who are bucking up the author and smiling. nothing will change by writing such sarcastic article neither through the smiley faces that almost everyone has, after reading the above article. Someone has to take the step. I know I will also not be able to change anything by writing this comment but somebody has to do something about it. The same way that ‘somebody’ go and make a fake degree so that he can be praised in the eyes of people.
Your criticism and input related to the same is welcome.