In Search of a Philosophy of Education for Pakistan. Critical consciousness, is a popular education and social concept 
developed by Brazilian pedagogue and educational theorist Paulo Freire(September 19, 1921 – May 2, 1997), grounded in Marxist Critical Theory. Critical consciousness focuses on achieving an in-depth understanding of the world, allowing for the perception and exposure of social and political contradictions. Critical consciousness also includes taking action against the oppressive elements in one’s life that are illuminated by that understanding. The education I received in Pakistan failed to create the critical consciousness in me. However, when I see the deprivation of people, the fragility of our national institutions, the clash of religious sects killing each other to please their Creator and the indifference of our ruling elite to these national problems, I was forced to find some solution through self study.
Education is the soul of an individual and a nation; it is the beacon which allows the nations to find the way to the future. Philosophy of education deals with the problems of our education system through a multi disciplinary approach concerned with its concepts, aims, methods and results. Our Education System is a legacy of our colonial masters. We have failed to update it with respect to the changing times. What education we are giving to our own children today, is an antithesis of the Plato’s Education Philosophy of Idealism described in 
his vision of an ideal Republic; which advocates about an individual who is subservient to a just society. Should the child be raised by the state as advocated by Plato(away from parents)? This question has been answered differently by Utopian scholars, ideologies and civilizations. Irrespective of the way the child is brought up in various civilizations, the aim of education is to create the social change; produce citizens for the civil society and provide opportunity to all social classes for the growth of individuals and communities. Pakistan is a Republic but the aim of education is not clear. Ironically, developing a national aim of education is not the agenda of our law makers; not even the reform oriented political parties like PTI have declared any concrete policy on education. The surveys of schools conducted in rural Sind and Punjab in 1990s revealed that 60 percent of our schools in our rural areas are not functioning. The people who can write their names are only 52 percent in Pakistan, the unofficial literacy level is much lower. If we have a national debate on the question does nature or nurture is responsible for our underdevelopment? the majority will favor the concept of Fatalism(a philosophical doctrine emphasizing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate). Under these circumstances we cannot discuss the Philosophy of Kant or Hegel in Pakistan. It is no surprise that Pakistan became the breeding ground of fanatic religious ideologies supported by brotherly countries since 1979.
Islam is one of the majestic religions of the world which emphasized on her followers to get educated; Islam declared knowledge as light (Noor) and its absence as darkness (Zulmat). The Holy Book Al-Quran is a living miracle of our beloved Prophet Rehmat-ul-Alameen Muhammad(Peace be Upon him). Quran is a treasure of knowledge and guidance for the people till the day of judgment. It completed the religion of Allah initially delivered piecemeal by the Prophets in different times and places. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) created a welfare state/civil society in Madina for 13 years. Sociologists believe that women’s rights are the key to the civilization of change and progress. He(PBUH) gave the rights of emancipation (the right to marry, get education, adopt a career, get inheritance and choose divorce at will) to women in the 7th century, which were given to European women after 1850s. The international scholars acclaim him as the greatest leader of mankind who brought an unimaginable social change in the world’s most uneducated and uncivilized society of the world-Arabia in the 7th century. The Muslims emerged as a world power from the 7th to the 17th Century A.D.
However, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is ranked just above the Least Developed Countries(LDCs) in the Human Development Index of the world. It is ironic that Islam provided all the recipes of national development, nevertheless we are moving on the way of darkness; we are infected with all the social evils for which different communities were punished by Allah for disobedience as narrated the Quran. I have yet to see any demonstration by religious parties in Pakistan on our illiteracy or lack of intellectualism. Our Holy Prophet(PBUH), his Ahl-e-Bait and his sincere companions gave us the gift of knowledge to change, why are we following the path of darkness? If utilitarianism can be achieved by other civilizations of the world, than why not the people of Pakistan get a scholastic solution to their problems. I listened to different TV anchors who in their talk-shows emphasize the formation of National Policies on Economics, Defense, Foreign Policy etc. No doubt they are important but education is the key for development. According to UNDP, investment on education provides a long term profit @16 per cent. Low literacy rates are one of the reasons of poor economic growth in India despite having democracy for 65 years. Contrary, huge investment on human development and technical education by autocratic China produced one of the strongest sustainable growth in human history. The economic growth of brother Islamic Republics/countries of Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia is correlated with their accomplishments in education. Why are we afraid of knowledge and development of our people?
Literate and educated Pakistan has a higher probability to defeat the non democratic forces than the existing web of poverty, deprivation and darkness. John Dewey(1859-1952) believed in the strong relationship of education with democracy. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of Pragmatism(philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory) and one of the founders of Functional Psychology (general psychological philosophy that considers mental life and behavior in terms of active adaptation to the person’s environment). He was a major representative of progressive education and liberalism. From the perceptive of parents, education should augment their family income and social standing in the society. The structure of our education provides 14 years of education to a child with no guarantee of employment. As Pakistan is passing through its worst economic growth under a democratic governments, our education should focus on technical education and entrepreneurship trainings to our students. The lack of economic independence of our male graduates reduces matrimony, sustainable marriages and other social evils in our society. Informal education with NGO’s support is possible. Weak relationship of Primary/Secondary education with the Higher education reduces its linkage with national economic growth as experienced in Sri Lanka. Higher education got a fillip in Pakistan from 2000 to 2007, under a military rule. Higher Education Commission created by Mr Atta-ur-Rehamn and his team gave us hope that Pakistan has a futuristic vision; the weaknesses in the national economic and human development had a ray of hope that the young generation is moving in the right direction. The students were selected on merit for foreign scholarships in the technologies of future. The local universities were expanding and improving to accommodate the young scholars returning back from their studies. But the discontinuation of these great initiatives by the People’s Government in the last 5 years has increased the fears of failures of state. It has amplified despair in the society.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed, written by educator Paulo Freire, proposes a pedagogy with a new relationship between teacher, student, and society. The book is considered one of the foundational texts of critical pedagogy. Since the publication of the English edition in 1970, Pedagogy of the Oppressed has achieved “near-iconic status” in America’s teacher-training programs. To break the status quo in Pakistan, we need to understand this new relationship to give hope to the society. The fragility of our social contract with the state can be restored by having a national policy on the philosophy of education.
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