Quaid's vision for education

Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is perhaps the only leader of a developing country who laid emphasis, time and again, on the importance of education in the economic development and social progress of a nation. The Quaid was a clear-headed political visionary who contended, quite frankly, that a nation lagging behind in education could never entertain any hope of combating illiteracy as it was at the root of all misunderstandings and misgivings a nation could be plagued with.
The vested interests make a lot of capital of their constituents' ignorance and make mountain out of a molehill due to illiteracy of their constituents. Our country is witness to many a manipulative campaign to confuse and confound the common masses.
Quaid-i-Azam had been a member of the Imperial Legislative Council (1910) and Central Legislative Council. Created by the Indian Councils Act 1909 and Government of India Act 1919. He remained an active member of the Central Legislative Assembly until Partition and a member of the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan till he became the Governor-General of the country on 14th August, 1947.
The Quaid knew that it were not the 'mines' of a country but the 'minds' of its country which could do wonders and hence his prescription for universal literacy which is still a dream to be fully realised. The Dakar Resolution demands of us fulfilment of the promise of universal literacy by 2015 but there are no signs of its coming good considering the lapses of huge funds in some provinces. This is a sad state of affairs that illiteracy is doing all the damage to our integrity.
We have a mindset on almost all issues of national interests - simply because there is no even-handed appreciation at the precariousness of important national issues. The Quaid wanted us to do much more - and in good time - than we have been able to do. Let us see why the Founder of Pakistan wanted us to accomplish them.
He did not believe in a theocratic State and hence he was for a system of education which could serve his desired goal - a system of education compatible with the modern age without leaving behind the respect for humanistic ideals Islam. Like a great leader of modern times, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah wanted to harmonise the developmental needs of his people with a new outlook on education. It is not surprising that he, like Alama Iqbal, looked to Japan as a model nation for any advancement in education.
He thought that it was basically the Japanese revolution in education which made Japan technologically so powerful as to defeat the mighty Russian empire in 1905. No wonder then that the Quaid-i-Azam, in his very first speech in the Council of Governor-General of India, on 23 March 1910, supported the establishment of a polytechnic college to provide instructions in the higher braches of engineering in the following words:
"My Lord, I do not wish to take up the time of the Council with the various virtues of technical education or the excellent effect it has had on different countries. I do not need to dilate on that point - members in this Council take it for granted that it is the business of the State to help education of the country - general or technical."
Marshalling facts and figures to prove the progress and growth of education in Japan he thought that it was a pity that the Government was not doing enough to the cause of education in India with the result that education in India was more an apology than a system seeking to banish ignorance and poverty from India.
The Quaid-i-Azam, in the course of his public life, spread over more than 50 years, referred to the pre-eminence of education more than a hundred times. It was in 1911 that he made a strong plea in the Council of the Governor-General of India to make elementary education universal, compulsory and free.
The ideal has not been realised uptil now though we are commemorating the Golden Jubilee of Pakistan this year. Actually the goal towards compulsory primary education has remained illusory.
The latest promise to achieve this goal has deferred this goal to the first year of 21st century. It means that Pakistan will enter the next century with hardly 35% literacy rate - a figure that shames us. Perhaps we don't deserve to be the legatees to the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam for not paying due attention to it. The Quaid-i-Azam, in his numerous speeches and statements, has pinpointed progress in education as the sine qua non for the economic development itself.
He was quite clear in his mind that the system, introduced by lord Macaulay was based on the needs of the British Raj. It sought to create battalions of clerks and junior officers from amongst the Indians to rule over the vast country as it was not easy to employ the British for the kind of work which the Raj wanted the Indians to do.
The Quaid-i-Azam, time and again, distinguished the British system of education in India from the 'ideal' system of education which was far, far away.
In his address to the All Bengal Students Federation on 18 August 1936 he said: "We want to produce independent progressive and fearless men who will work sincerely for the country and when we have done that we mean to make as great a contribution to the freedom of our motherland as any other community".
And a day after this address - on 19 August 1936 - he exhorted them not to take part in active and aggressive politics of the country but to keep abreast of what was going on in the country and the world around them. The Quaid considered education as a means of banishing backwardness. He regarded education as the most important step towards progress and development.
It was at the 1943 annual session of the Muslim League in Karachi that a standing committee known as Economic Planning Committee was set up. This committee comprised 39 members drawn from all parts of India on 15 November 1944, Dr Zakir Husain and Colonel Rahura were also co-opted.
This committee was presided over by Nawab Ali Nawaz Jang Bahadur, himself an engineer, and it had four more engineers namely Khan Bhadur Abdul Aziz, Syed Arifuddin, Ahsan Yar Jang and Moshin Ali to serve on the committee. The committee met four times and on 2nd July 1945 and decided to present its chairman's memorandum to the Quaid-i-Azam. The memorandum came to the conclusion that there was a need for improving general welfare of the people by planned effort to make full use of the human physical and technological resources.
It was thought by the committee that while scientific progress and technical achievements have made rapid strides, the efficiency of Government is far short of the requirements. The committee also came to the conclusion that it was not possible for the Muslims to progress without developing their human resources to the full.
This is even true today and it indicates that our failure to live up to the vision of the Quaid has indicated that the Muslims should "take advantage of the opportunities which modern science offers, there should be machinery for insisting on efficient production at minimum cost, and also for a smooth carrying the products to the consumer's door.
Chaos prevails at the present time through an incessant conflict by which men are devoting their energies, not toward increasing the collective resources, not towards competing with each other for the command of them. Concerted effort is needed, if we are not to remain backward and dependent."
It is said that the memorandum could not be examined by the AIML in view of the other pressing issues of the time and all we could know was what the Planning Committee accepted the primacy of science and technology. The Quaid-i-Azam was convinced that the system devised by the Colonial masters didn't lead the Indians to the economic development. Hence he wanted Indian students to see through the colonial designs and exert themselves to make up for the lack of government attention.
A system of education which doesn't enlarge and brighten the out-look of the people and foster progressive desire is detrimental to the economic wealth of the community. Speaking to the staff and students of Islamia College, Lahore, on 1st April 1044, in the Habibya Hall said: "Change your mentality and pay more attention to industrial and technical education, instead of aiming to become lawyers and clerks."
Emphasising this point all our again at the annual convocation of the same college on 24 March 1946, he said: "Commerce and industry are the very foundations of a nation. In that department, I regret to say we are left far behind."
Besides Quaid-i-Azam, speaking to a gathering of Aligarh students on 9th March 1944, said: The Arabs suffered from two serious defects Firstly they lacked the 'consciousness' of national unity. They were conscious of tribes and families. Secondly, they lacked structures applied to the Mussalmans in India also. In yet another speech he made at the annual convocation of Islamia College on 24 March 1946: "Commerce and industry", said the Quaid, "are the very foundation of a nation. Things are moving and we cannot afford to lose time. You should now train yourselves in this direction. If there are difficulties in our way, I assure you will overcome all difficulties and you will build you nation economically as we have very largely built it "politically".
It is known to all that the main purpose of the First Educational Conference, held in Karachi (27 November - 1st December 1947), was to frame a new educational policy for the developmental needs of an independent and sovereign country.
IN HIS MESSAGE TO THE CONFERENCE THE QUAID HAD SAID: "You know that the importance of education and the right type of education cannot be over-emphasised. Under foreign rule for over a century, in the very nature of things, I regret, sufficient attention has not been paid to the education of our people and if we are to make any real, speedy and substantial progress, we must earnestly tackle this question and bring our educational policy and programme on the lines suited to the genius of our people consonant with our history and culture and having regard to the modern conditions and vast developments that have taken place all over the world."
He further said: "what we have to do is to mobilise our people and see that greater attention should be paid to technical and vocational education". In the light of Quaid-i-Azam's declared preference for a system of education that ought to be compatible with modern times it is really surprising that things have moved so slowly that we don't seem to be cognisant of the fact that we have betrayed the Quaid's vision of Pakistan.
Our commitment to education - let alone science and technology - is not compatible with the challenge of economic development. Perhaps we have forgotten that the one war which we cannot afford to lose is the war against hunger and illiteracy. We can't sustain the burdens of increasing population without having an educational system capable of producing value - added manufactures enjoying a competitive edge over the manufactures of other nations.
Let us see whether we are alive to the great challenge lying ahead of us and come to terms with the stagnation and inertia which seem to have seized us with a vengeance. The solution to this pathetic state of affairs lies nowhere except in the Quaid-i-Azam's vision of a modern progressive Pakistan marching ahead with the times.