Teaching and Teacher Education in Pakistan: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
By Anjum Halai
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-969-7347-60-5
210pp.

The importance of effective teachers and good teaching is well recognised in education research. Good teachers make a big difference, not only in learning outcomes of students; they can have significant impacts on student motivation, aspirations and developments in non-cognitive areas. So, having more effective and inspiring teachers is important.

But we know most teachers in Pakistan are not very effective in motivating or inspiring. We have plenty of data on learning outcomes showing that most students in Pakistan get poor quality education, many of our grade four or five students are one or two grades behind where they should be in learning, and ‘learning poverty’ is quite large in Pakistan.

This is true for most of the public as well as the low-fee private sector schools. Only the high-fee schools — a very small percentage of schools — provide decent education.

We also know most teachers do not get the respect, as professionals, that they should have. We know most teachers in the private sector are not even paid the minimum wage level. So, teaching is not a profession of choice for most of those who end up in teaching. It is no wonder that teaching outcomes are poor in the country.

But all of the above highlight the need and importance of teacher training and support. The book under review, Teaching and Teacher Education in Pakistan: Historical and Contemporary Perspective by Dr Anjum Halai, is organised into two sections. In the first section, Dr Halai gives the historical perspective on teacher education in the global context.

A book by a veteran educationist provides an overview of historical perspectives on teaching and teacher education and argues the need for their transformation in Pakistan

She provides details on developments in teacher education and support in Pakistan over the last 77 years and then goes on to give a more nuanced reading of policy changes in the areas of teacher professionalism, in-service education and training, and continuing teacher professional development.

Teacher training and support was mentioned as early as in the November-December 1947 first education conference. There was more detailed discussion of issues and policies in the 1959 Sharif Commission Report. And it has been an important area of discussion and policy change in all education policies since.

The basic idea was simple. Teachers, even ones coming in with education degrees, needed education, training and support, before they stepped into classrooms and then while they were teaching. But, Dr Halai argues, despite the recognition of the importance of the area and the policy changes that were brought in over time, our teachers are still not where they ought to be. She writes in her introduction: “[For] education to prepare children and youth for a dynamic world, teaching and teacher education would have to be transformed.”

This transformation has not happened. Despite the introduction of some induction training programmes and even some continuous professional development programmes, teacher education remains staid and unsatisfactory, and teachers do not get the support they need to ensure better learning outcomes.

There are a lot of women who are in teaching. But, at the same time, teaching is not treated as a profession and it has, formally also, not developed as a profession. This creates problems in recognising the work that teachers do in general and the work of female teachers in particular. It also makes organising teacher education and support provision harder.

What will this transformation require? In terms of areas for support for teachers, Dr Halai identifies the following: “The provision of teacher education across the spectrum would have to be nimble and responsive to new teaching methods and emerging needs for skills development. Traditional long-duration models of teacher education would have to be complemented by short, targeted and needs-based programmes, offered through multiple learning pathways, including virtual or blended modes.

“Teaching would have to take into account the diversity in classrooms as a result of significant demographic shifts, increasing socio-economic divide, persistent gender inequity, disability, conflict, and disruptive digital technology, among other factors.”

The chapters in section ‘B’ take on some of these areas in detail and provide some empirical findings as well. Covid-19 disrupted education a lot and schools had to go online in a hurry. Teachers had to adapt quickly. The initial response was to take what was being done in classes to online platforms but, over time, teachers have had to adapt curriculum and assessments, as well as pedagogy.

It seems online learning or hybrid environments are here to stay. Teachers will have to become experts in the area. Most Pakistani teachers still have a long way to go.

It seems clear that early learning, from the perspective of learning in children, should be in the child’s mother/home language. But children in Pakistan need to be good with Urdu (national language) and English (official language and language of higher education) as well.

Teachers need to be comfortable in the regional/home languages of their area and Urdu as well as English. And English language teachers need to know how to teach English as a foreign language. Again, an area where a lot of work is needed to develop requisite teacher proficiencies.

Dr Halai points out that “Teaching is largely seen as a ‘feminine profession’, aligned with the perception of the limited and traditional role of women in society.” And there are a lot of women who are in teaching. But, at the same time, teaching is not treated as a profession and it has, formally also, not developed as a profession. This creates problems in recognising the work that teachers do in general and the work of female teachers in particular. It also makes organising teacher education and support provision harder.

The chapters give lots of ideas for research that could be useful for students/researchers. Should teachers come in with education degrees (this used to happen) or should graduates from any area be allowed to start teaching after short courses in pedagogy (the practice in public sector now)? How do we professionalise teaching? Is credentialing, and/or licensing the answer? What is the role of technology in education?

The last chapter gives some recommendations on addressing the shortcomings in the above areas. Recommendations are contextual and build on changes that have been happening historically.

This book will be important for those who are interested in education issues in Pakistan generally, and will be especially interesting for those focusing on teaching issues and issues in teacher education.

The reviewer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives, and an associate professor of economics at Lums

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, September 1st, 2024