Education is the key towards success for every country.It helps to
boost the economy and to generate democratic society. The
main resource of any country is Human Resource. If we’ll prepare
educated human in our society in advance by providing proper education
facilities to our younger generation, then we could move towards the
path of success.
If we look towards our Education system, there are many unveiled reasons
behind the de-motivation and poor academic performance of
students. Despite a great deal of effort since from the day of
independence, academic achievement among students in Pakistan continues
to lag behind. No doubt we are moving towards the successful future, but our education system some how, is hampering the progress of our country.
The results, which we see in matriculation, intermediate and graduation
are not up to mark.
The interest in students to achieve quality education is de-motivated
in the recent years.The only thing student require, is
Certificate/Degree with passing marks.
In the attempt to improve school results, the teacher educators and
education counselor are trying their level best to find the roots of
poor academic achievement of school students.Educational Psychologist
has also developed many tests, to judge and improve the skills of
students, but the real cause has not been founded till date, that what
makes the student frustrated to back out of education so easily?
Might be it’s the fault of Ministry of Education to develop lack of
integrated curriculum and wrong dimensional policies or it might be the
fault of a teacher, whose teaching style is not appropriate to the age
level students they teach, or its the problem of Learning Disability in
a child.
Some point the finger at the outrageous homework loads students given
by the teachers. Students are overburdened with academic demands of
questionable value and, as a result, end up indifferent to studies,
exhausted, and worn out.In addition,the heavy loads of books are not
worthwhile, until and unless the students are ready to go through it.
Our Curriculum Ministry is trying to develop curriculum according to
their own judgement, without keeping in view the taste and level of a
student.
The reason for the poor academic achievement could be any out of these.
But the question is, Why the students academic records are more
successful in European and American Countries?
The answer is that, they are keen to learn and explore things. No over
load of work is given to them nor books load and examination pressure
is exerted on them.The books are well integrated too.
The new writers, who want to write curriculum books according to the
requirement of students are never encouraged in our country.
Teachers, even sometimes avoid researching, and teaches whatever is
given in the textbook.
The main contributing factors that lead to low learning proficiency of
students according to my experience as a teacher are as follows
1. Incomprehension of the Studying Purpose
The main reason why so many students don’t feel interested in what they
are doing at school, is the incomprehension of their studying routine.
A vast majority of private and government teachers are not even
bothered to explain to their students what the learning outcomes are,
why they need to achieve them and how they will be assessed.Mostly
Teachers take out their text books and start making a wrong impression
of rote learning on students, and then evaluate their students without
seeing the capabilities of a child.Students are not encouraged to write
their own answers. Despite of it, teacher wants their student to copy
the same answer in the examination, which they have taught or were made
to write.
Thus, the writing and analytical thinking skill gets hamper, for which
we can’t blame a student.
Student just accomplish their tasks by command, which needs to be
bluntly carried out.Students prepare projects, submit reports etc just
to get extra marks, without knowing the purpose of their study.
2. Wrong Assessment Process
Assessment means to evaluate children capabilities, not to judge them.
Assessment in Pakistan is often wrongly intended by teachers as a
punishment for students, or traps to catch them out. Grades seem to
exist in order to show students’ errors, mistakes and drawbacks in the
study area, rather than to give students reasonable chance of
demonstrating their achievements of specific learning goals. Same five
years questions, wrong curriculum development by the ministry of
education, changing of the course at the last moment of the end of the
year are going on in secondary and higher classes. Assessment should
not be based on counting the pages, which a student fills. Rather than
this, evaluating system should be changed.Invigilators should be well
educated to judge the learning tasks and own input, else the wrong
assessment process, which is going on since a long time would create a
fearful attitude in students towards assessment.
Students are learning not for acquiring knowledge but for getting a
“pass.” Students, who works hard gets low marks, because the teacher
checks the paper according to their knowledge and often forgets student
effort of contributing towards answering question.
3. Lack of integrated Curriculum
Ministry of Education is making such a curriculum, which is not up to
mark and is not well integrated with full resources. Mistakes in the
books and wrong statements makes student furious.
Activities are always missing in our curriculum books. The quality and
the presentation of book makes jack a dull boy.
Our curriculum is made by professionals, but the question is, Why the
curriculum is not made yet, according to the needs and requirement of
the students? We are just trying to change our curriculum all the time
on the basis of the prevailing fear of any other examination
systems,coming ahead in the competition. If we are capable, why don’t
we move ahead rather than taking wrong decisions at the end moment.
4. Teachers Fault
With classes consisting of more than 15-20 children, many students feel
deprived of the due attention on their teacher’s part.Teachers are the
leader and a role model for every student. Every student want to be
unique and want their place in teachers heart. They are placed among
the great lot of students without their personal interests, and
problems with studying being taken into account. As a result, students
don’t feel cared about, lose their identity, become indifferent to
studies and lose faith in the brighter future.
Teacher should treat their student equally and give proper attention to
every student of his/her class.
5. Wrong attitude of parents
Many parents are “performance oriented,” which emphasises results such
as students’ grades, rather than knowing whether their child have
mastered the material or not.They just want their child to be on the
top of the list and thats all.
Children gets frustrated, when parent keeps a lot of expectations from
our child, which de-motivates them most of the time.
There are many parents,who tells their child in advance that they have
to join their fathers or forefathers business after passing school,
which also makes student less motivated to perform well in examination
and thus, poor performance is seen in the results, just because of the
wrong impression embossed by parents on their children.
By: Munir Moosa
Posts Tagged ‘Quality Education’
Analyzing Lack Of Educational Motivation In Students
February 6th, 2010Education and Islam
January 19th, 2010
Islam is the religion of peace, and it is one of the most sacred and trustworthy religions, which has given us guidance in every aspect of life. Islam has given us education with knowledge which has no limits. The Holy Quran is the most sacred book of Allah revealed on Prophet Muhammad (SAW), for the upliftment guidance and enriched messages to the humanity.
Education is the knowledge of putting one’s potentials to maximum use. Without education, no one can find the proper right path in this world.
This importance of education is basically for two reasons. Education makes man a right thinker. Without education, no one can think properly in an appropriate context you. It tells man how to think and how to make decision. The second reason for the importance of education is that only through the attainment of education, man is enabled to receive information from the external world. It is well said that
“Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards outside world.”
This is why Islam attaches such great importance to knowledge and education. When the Quran began to be revealed, the first word of its first verse was ‘Iqra’ that is, read..
The reflective book of Holy Quran is so rich in content and meaning that if the history of human thought continues forever, this book is not likely to be read to its end. Every day it conveys a new message to the humanity. Every morning, it gives us new thoughtful ideas and bound us in the boundaries of ethics.
Islamic Education is one of the best systems of education, which makes an ethical groomed person with all the qualities, which he/she should have as a human being. The Western world has created the wrong image of Islam in the world. They don’t know that our teachings are directly given to us from Allah, who is the creator of this world, through our Prophets.
The Muslims all over the world are thirsty of acquiring quality education. They know their boundaries and never try to cross it. It is the West, which has created a hype that the Muslim are not in a path of getting proper education. They think that our education teaches us fighting, about weapons, etc., which is so false. This is true that there are certain elements, which force an individual to be on the wrong path, because as we will mould a child, they will be like that, but it doesn’t mean that our religion teaches improperly to us.
Our Holy Prophet (SAW), said,
Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.
And:
Seek knowledge even [if it is to be found in a place as distant as China. At the battle of Badr, in which our beloved Holy Prophet (SAW) gained victory over his foes, seventy people of the enemy rank were taken to prison. These prisoners were literate people. In order to benefit from their education the Prophet declared that if one prisoner teaches ten Muslim children how to read and write, this will serve as his ransom and he will be set free. This was the first school in the history of Islam established by the Prophet himself with all its teachers being non-Muslims. The Sunnah of the Prophet shows that education is to be received whatever the risk involved.
Today, the Muslims are acquiring good ideas, thoughts, knowledge, and skills, from all corners of the world. The world is moving very fast, and in this industrialize world, It is the duty of the teachers to give quality ethical integrated education to the Muslim students worldwide, because children are invaluable assets of future generations.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encouraged all Muslims to acquire knowledge and share it. He said:
“Acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it in the way of Allah performs an act of piety; he who speaks of it, praises the Lord; he who seeks it, adores Allah; he who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms; and he who imparts it to others, performs an act of devotion to Allah.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
All the teachers of either secular or religious education should give more attention to the pupils inside the classroom. It is necessary that in the Islamic system that we should consider these dear children as our own children, and put aside all other considerations, and rise above all such things and realize our duty and our mission. We should raise the standards of education and attend to the needs of these children. We should realize our duties with earnestness and awaken to the sense of responsibility. It has been seen that there are certain teacher who are not fulfilling their duties with keen interest. I would like to request all the teachers that for the sake of God, for the sake of your revolutionary duty, teach the children with devotion and dedication.
It is important that we advance our work through discussions, debates, studies, and through proper distribution of work among ourselves.
We must never forget that we are living in an Islamic State, and our aim should be simultaneously to create both an independent as well as an Islamic culture in character. Independence and richness of content are indeed among the characteristics of the Islamic culture. Our system is an ideological system.
We should make our child enthusiastic, dynamic, and this search should pervade every corner of our society. We should aspire them to be truthful and sincere.
Self-sacrifice and generosity, love of freedom, the resolve for resistance and headstrong perseverance, the courage to welcome martyrdom-all these are the new values of the new generation, which should be taught according to the teaching of Islam.
The doors of the school should always be kept open for the sake of Islam, for the sake of the Muslim Ummah.
By: Munir Moosa
