Reviewed by Audrey Juma

A BOOK with the title Educational Crisis and Reform is both a reminder of the bleak state of affairs as far as education is concerned and a hope that all is not lost. This edited collection of articles by renowned educationists reflects the ‘education deficit’ and calls for action in the here and now. The contributions are predominantly from Pakistani educationists with regional contributions from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. While not all South Asian countries have been covered in this volume, the editors, Abbas Rashid and Irfan Muzaffar, claim that the educational issues discussed would be pertinent to other countries across the region.

Rashid and Muzaffar, both renowned educationists, researchers and members of the Campaign for Quality Education, convincingly put forward the argument that while the crises in education in different South Asian countries may vary in accordance with their nature and importance, many factors such as increasing populations and the growth of the private sector are common across these countries. The greatest crisis for South Asia is that it is “home to almost half the number of illiterate people in the world” with a large proportion living below the poverty line. In addition South Asia is plagued with a multitude of education-related issues that include out-of-school children, high dropout rates, low public spending and minimal political will.

While there is collective consensus that education is the single most powerful equaliser and an answer to many of the plights faced by citizens of these countries, most South Asian countries have failed in the provision of education with both access and quality of education being questionable. Despite commitments to provide a universal education to its population, most South Asian countries lag behind on this and in the words of Rashid and Muzaffar “constitutional pronouncements are not equalled by appropriate policies and plans to make universal access to quality education a reality for all South Asian school-age children”. In practice, the missing link is political will and concerted efforts to realise this commitment.

The book is pertinent as it not only provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the “educational crisis”, it also highlights the hurdles on the path to reform, the specific attempts made to reform the education sector and the “measure of success achieved”.

Rashid and Muzaffar note that “South Asian states have so far failed to deliver educational justice” which is about providing children with “an equitable opportunity to get a decent education”. In the absence of this right, children and youth will face inequities, unemployment and conflicts. Contrary to the belief that there is a low demand for education among the poor, research from the region shows that “the demand for education is very high even among poor and illiterate households across the region”.

This volume which consists of 13 chapters provides a sound knowledge base for students of education, academics and non-academics alike. The editors’ aim to provide a resource for the media, policymakers, and the general public in language that is accessible and that can encourage “informed debate on critical issues relating to education reform” in the region is thus achieved.

The premise that Rashid and Muzaffar put forward is that education has yet to “become the kind of political issue that can potentially shift the balance in terms of winning or losing elections”, thus they substantiate the need for politicising education.

The chapters contributed by various writers in this book provide a multiplicity of dimensions on the education crisis and the attempts to address these through reforms introduced. Marie Lall’s chapter addresses the crisis of education in the public sector in India. She notes that despite the provision of “pro-poor programmes” by the government to improve access, retention and quality, the government has been unable to stop the ‘flight’ of the middle classes to private schools. She highlights the emergence of a market-based system of education fuelled by demand from parents to access private schools, thus exiting public schools. This resonates with experiences in Pakistan in the recent past.

Muzaffar and Faisal Bari in their chapter explore the notion of ‘voice’ as a means of improving public sector schools. They use the framework by Hirschman (1970) and argue that a stronger political voice is needed to improve public schools. The chapter offers useful strategies for addressing that too. Rashid and Ayesha A. Awan also use Hirschman’s framework to show the absence of voice in the public sector as a result of influential classes exiting the system. They maintain that a “politically mobilised community” is needed to bring about any change. Birgitte Refslund Sørensen’s chapter argues for citizenship education by emphasising on children’s total experience of schooling.

The chapters on programmes for school improvement by Wilfred J. Perera, reforming gender inequities by Fareeha Zafar and transforming public schools by Muhammad Farooq Naseer, Manasa Patnam and Reehana R. Raza explore attempts made by and in the public sector to enhance access and quality. Each author explores the “education endeavour” and provides an in-depth analysis of what has worked/not worked and the possibilities for reform. Language and reform and its place in shaping teaching and learning is explored through the case of introducing Multilingual Education (MLE) in Nepal as a pedagogical method to address linguistically diverse groups.

The chapters on the teaching profession by Ajay Sharma and Anjum Halai are worth reading. Sharma looks at how the contractualisation of teaching in India has been detrimental to the profession and has been responsible for deprofessionalising teaching. He forewarns readers of the negative consequences of this policy. Halai, on the other hand, makes a case for continuing professional development as a way to improve quality. She advocates looking at teacher learning on a continuum with emphasis on teacher preparation.

Pervez Hoodbhoy provides an analysis of higher education, and his concern for quality within higher education is not unfounded. He provides an ingenious conceptual framework to measure the quality of higher education institutes, which in my opinion if followed would not only uplift higher education but could result in the “formation of intellectuals” (Antonio Gramsci, 1971) that could turn the nation around. The last two chapters focus on adult literacy and an educational development strategy in Bangla­desh to ensure equity and quality.

A point of centrality within the book is that the provision of quality education serves the interest of any country, since to have an educated citizenry means to ensure social stability. The book thus shows the possibilities of what can be achieved if there is a will to act.

Educational Crisis and Reform: Perspectives from South Asia

Edited by Abbas Rashid and Irfan Muzaffar

Oxford University Press, Karachi

ISBN 978-0199400294

545pp.