Defining Quality Education Today

In today’s world, quality education just revolves around good grades and passing exams. In reality, it is about nurturing emotional intelligence, creativity and preparation for the future world. It helps students build their own identity to recognize themselves. In this current century our understanding of quality education should broaden and help us reflect our skills and decisions. This is a need to survive in this rapidly growing world.

As stated in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, quality education encompasses inclusive and equitable learning that fosters lifelong skills. It should not only cater literacy but also ethical values, global awareness, and digital literacy.

Sadly, in Pakistan, quality education is often measured by grades and scores. It focuses on rote learning and completely ignores student engagement, creative aspects, learning, personal growth and effectiveness. A 2021 ASER Pakistan report revealed that many students in Grade 5 struggle with reading basic English words and solving simple Mathematics problems. This clearly highlights that there is unfortunately a huge gap between schooling and actual learning.

Quality education should invoke the curious side of a student because curiosity helps in learning about things deeply and understand them better. Interactive study methods in schools should be introduced like debate competitions, projects, and problem solving quizzes. Schools must also acknowledge students’ emotional needs though supportive environments.

Quality education is not a privilege. It is a right of every student in the nation. Policy makers should commit to continuous curriculum reform, inclusive practices, and accountability systems that reflect student growth, not just performance.

It is important to start evaluating students not just on the basis of their scores in exams but also their ability of critical thinking and understanding. True quality education can make great leaders and foster the future of this nation.

References:

• ASER Pakistan Report (2021)
• UN Sustainable Development Goal 4

Author : Alina Amir