Making government schools conform to the standards of modern education is an idea that is neither idealistic nor ambitious. What is needed is simply a paradigm shift where professionalism, and not political expediency, determines the learning and management environment; where education is based not on rote learning but on understanding of concepts and on conceptual development.

A ccording to rough government figures, there are over 130,000 schools in the public sector in Pakistan, with 46,000 in Sindh. Not one of them -- literally, not one of them -- meets the standards of a modern school, either by way of the learning environment or the programme of studies or by way of management. It is, as if, the policymakers have decided to have one set of standards for the rich attending elite private schools and another for the poor attending ill-managed government schools.

Given this attitude of the policymakers, and in the absence of a vision and political will, what was needed to change this attitude was to establish a new paradigm by improving a set of government schools, where modern textbooks can be taught using modern teaching methodology, where professionalism, and not political expediency, determine the learning and management environment; where education is based not on rote learning but on understanding of concepts and on conceptual development; where students enjoy safe and adequate physical infrastructure; where autonomy is given to the school administration and where learning is fun. By establishing the prototype of the new paradigm in government schools, the objective was to demonstrate that students attending government schools can also have the same quality of education which their counterparts are getting in leading private schools.

But can government schools be made to conform to the standards of modern education? Can government schools be made comparable to the best of private schools? The government considers this idea as idealistic and too ambitious. It is neither, it can be done. The fact of the matter is that it has never been taken up with any conviction and seriousness. Conventional wisdom attributes the failure of the government in providing modern education to corruption and to an absence of political will. Both factors are true, but a more important factor is the mediocrity and a medieval mindset that has continued to dominate the so-called reform efforts, both by the government as well as by the donor-creditor institutions. It is a common belief that more money is the answer to improving the education sector, without appreciating that unless policy changes are effectively implemented, money will have no major impact on public sector education. It is, therefore, not surprising that having spent large amounts of tax-payers' money and millions of donor dollars, efforts at improving government schools have shown no significant change.

A beginning had to be made. Bookgroup and Zindagi Trust took the initiative of demonstrating quality education in SMB Fatima Jinnah Government Girls Secondary School, Karachi. City District Government of Karachi (CDGK) gave full and unconditional support in carrying out fundamental changes that included changing the textbooks, changing administrative policies and bringing in modern management practices. The objective of these changes was to set a new direction for the much-needed reform of schools in the public sector, not only in Karachi, but also in the rest of the province, and hopefully, in the rest of the country.

Situated over five acres in a densely-populated area of Garden West, the school consisted of seven schools and one college functioning on the same premises, in well-built but dilapidated buildings, with one principal for the college, six different headmistresses and one headmaster for the seven schools. With no coordination between them, the seven schools – with a total number of 2,300 girls and a faculty of 140 – were a typical example of neglect and mismanagement. (One of the schools had just six students, with eight teachers and one headmistress!) The schools ran in two shifts: the morning shift from 7.35am to 12.20pm, and the afternoon shift from 12.35pm to 5.20pm.

When the Department of Education was requested to transfer the management of these seven schools, each official said that this was a model school, in a much better condition than other schools, and that we should select another government school that needed more help. Unfortunately, this model school, though slightly better than others, was still in dire need of change. One of the first steps was teachers' training programmes focused on different subjects and teaching methods. Teachers were also discouraged from using corporal punishment and told that they would be monitored closely, and in case a teacher was found guilty of striking a child, serious disciplinary action would be taken.

As part of improving the quality of the learning environment, New Heinemann Maths was introduced in Classes I to VI, a phonics-based English teaching programme from KG to Class II, and the colorful and child-friendly books published by the Bookgroup were introduced in classes I to VIII for teaching Urdu. These books have been provided free of cost to students and a team of trainers from Bay View Academy and The C.A.S. School trained the teachers of these schools to use these books effectively.

As it happens in several private schools, formal examinations have been discontinued up to Class VII. Students are evaluated on the basis of tests and assignments given on a regular basis. Art is also given high importance for children have a vivid imagination that finds expression best through artistic activities. Therefore, art is being taught with a new approach. Art supplies are provided to all students free of cost.

Students from classes VI to X attend computer classes once a week, with the classes taking place in the air-conditioned and fully-equipped 40-station Aziz Shareef Computer Lab. A fully equipped science lab has been established and students from classes VI to X attend practical classes in chemistry, physics and biology.

To encourage reading and the love of books, library classes are now part of the timetable and students are issued books on a weekly basis. The well-equipped and air-conditioned Razzak Dawood Library has been constructed for this purpose. Jalebian, the first school newspaper, was published in November last year. The next issue will be ready in April. The editorial board of Jalebian consists of nine students and two faculty members. This 12-page issue contains students' photographs and their written work, along with the news of the school.

A 14-member student council has been established, and this year the teachers nominated students from Class X. However, from next year, the student council will be elected. An academic council, consisting of the principal, the three section heads of SMB and principals of three private schools, has been established. The task of the academic council is to review the curriculum and educational policies of the school and recommend changes wherever necessary.

Like some private schools, learning modules have been introduced recently. Initially, students of Class V take rollerblading and students of Class VI taekwondo as part of the learning modules. A third learning module, photography, is to be introduced soon for students of Class VIII. All these modules take place during the school hour and as part of the curriculum. In due course of time, more modules will be added. Much has to be changed in terms of administrative structure and policies and the foremost among them was shifting the beginning of the academic year from April to August.

The seven schools, and the afternoon and morning shifts have been collapsed into one unified school. And school timings are now from 8am to 1.00pm. There has been strictness in maintaining the school times and for this the main gate closes at 8.05. Teachers and students coming in late report to the office and as a result of this, teachers are less frequently late and absent. Acting principal has been appointed from among the seven heads, which is in-charge of the entire school. Two headmistresses and one headmaster are section heads. Instead of six days a week, the school is open for only five days, from Monday to Friday. At a cost of almost Rs19 million raised from friends and supporters, two of the four blocks of the school building have been fully repaired and renovated. The work done includes the establishment of a computer lab, the library, the Getz Pharma health room and the science lab, Shan Ashary conference room, making the toilets functional and provision of drinking water, putting lights and fans in all the classrooms and provision of a 75KVA generator, building of basketball courts and landscaping the outside area. Manned by a qualified doctor and an assistant, the health room provides first aid to all students and staff. In the coming months, the health room will organize health-related teaching programmes. The school also has a day-care centre where the teachers and the administrative staff can leave their infants and small children while they teach in the school. This has proved to be a big blessing for the teachers and secretarial staff.

The CDGK, headed by the city nazim Mustafa Kamal, has demonstrated not only its political will to improve government schools, but has also allowed fundamental changes to be brought about in order to make government schools modern institutions of learning. If this process could be carried through with continued commitment and support, then existing sub-standard government schools can change for the better and it would be a step forward towards good governance.

What can emerge in their place are ‘neem tree' schools in the public sector. The neem tree symbolizes nature, a healthy environment and learning from one's immediate surrounding. This is somewhat of a Froebelian concept but this is what distinguishes meaningful learning from learning simply for the sake of passing the examinations. We hope this concept will generate more research and serious discussions on the objectives of education and on the corresponding programme of studies for other government schools. What is important here is to make sure that these changes are institutionalized and are not left to the whims of policymakers. Once the dynamics of change, not revolving around an individual or individuals but around an institutional policymaking process, set in, then professionalism and academic excellence in government schools will acquire a momentum of their own. By the same token, these changes will establish that money is usefully utilized only after policy changes have been made and enforced. These changes will also establish that changes in the education sector do not take a lifetime.

In only a few months, the efforts put into SMB Fatima Jinnah School brought about fundamental changes in the programme of studies and in the management. Of course, the culture of modern pedagogy and learning, with the passage of time, will get better, as indeed, all changes get better with time if the changes are made in the right direction.