DURING the search for a preschool for my toddler, the first shock I received was the fee structure. Private education in Pakistan is going to cost us a kidney in the near future. That is for sure. On an average, I was asked to dish out Rs30,000.And this is for a child who is just going to learn the basics, like alphabets.
Besides, I was taken by utter surprise by the timings observed by preschools. How, and why, are toddlers supposed to get up that early and spend half their day at school when they are not able to even communicate properly. I was handed a policy `document` that said the school was strict in terms of policies related to timings and homework.
We surely need a range of reforms. We need to learn strategies from countries in the the developed about how their educational systems are making progress by leaps and bounds. In China, for instance, there is no formal education until the age of six. In Japan, children are allowed to have short naps to regain their energy in schools. Finland`s educational system is considered the best around the world.
Perhaps, that is one of the reasons why people are deciding to move abroad in search of a better future for their offspring.
