First today, I would like to say congratulations on Independence Day, 14 August, to all Pakistanis and friends of Pakistan. This year, it is 78 years since Independence in 1947. Much has happened since then, many things for the better. The nation-building process has gone well, and everyone in the land seems to be proud of their country, yes, obviously also with some things one wants to change and improve. A field where things have gone well is education; Pakistanis have never been as well-educated as today. Yet, there are still many school-age children who do not go to school, so education is a national problem, and other education problems are international.
Private schools have increased in number and they are contributing to the quality of education, especially for the upper sections of society who can afford private schools. The private schools are also making the school sector divided, and therefore not quite contributing to nation-building. But we should realise that the private schools have come to stay, probably with added regulations, more experiments in ways of providing education and teaching-learning methods, and also cooperation between the private and government schools. In some ways, the private schools drain the government systems, but in other fields, they add dimensions. In future, there is room for closer cooperation between the public and private education providers, and that also means that the private schools should contribute more to including out-of-school children in education, through giving free school places for a certain percentage of their students.
I have sometimes in my earlier articles drawn attention to providing quality basic education to children even if the school is not full-day and the students go every day, which is most common today. I believe children can go to school in two shifts, and also three days per week instead of five or six days. But exams must be the same so such schools do not become second-class. Parents’ groups and local organisations (NGOs and CBOs) can be more involved than today, and that contributes important nation-building activities. I believe that private schools, with government schools, should experiment more with alternative ways of providing education. Let me mention that in my home country Norway, it was common till the 1960s that children in rural areas went to school three days per week, thus being able to help more at home and in the village than if they went to school every day. Often, students with such education did very well both in the school subjects, values, and issues related to village life and the nation. Even city schools may in future need to develop alternative ways of providing basic education, inter alia, as the high cost of education is an increasing problem in all countries in the world. If some children do not go to school it is a problem as regards nation-building. Big class differences are negative for nation-building.
Now then, when I began thinking about writing this article, I had not quite intended to give this much focus to education. Yet, it is a fact that the school is one of the most important institutions in a country in nation-building and developing inclusive values for all citizens. It is essential in making the children aware of the country’s history, values, organisation, and more. Most countries have a national education system, broadly with one national curriculum and organisation. Through that, it can integrate people so that they will pull in the same direction, with a shared national identity. It is not only basic education that is essential in nation-building, but also academic as well as vocational secondary education, and university education and research. Important is also the education and enlightenment provided by various types of NGOs and other organisations. Labour unions and employers’ associations are important in nation-building, and they have potential to do more than they currently do.
Religion, or an overall ideology, is part of the superstructure in all countries, and it is still so in the secular, Western states. In Pakistan, religion is particularly important since it was part of the reason for the country’s creation, being separate from India with a Hindu majority. Religion, notably Islam, has become more important in the nation-building process over the years. In 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic country. At Independence, Pakistan was created to be a country for Muslims, not necessarily an Islamic country, as it has become. However, Pakistan has believers belonging to other religions, too, mainly Christians, and smaller groups of Hindus, Sikhs, and others. Yet, for its nation-building, it is important to realise that Pakistan is indeed an Islamic country and part of the wider Islamic Ummah, notably the global community united by the faith in Islam without geographical borders.
In the West, the role of religion as a part of the superstructure of the states has diminished over the recent centuries, and class differences are smaller, but not gone. Still, religion has an indirect role and the people can be said to be ‘culturally Christian’, but less faith-based. Yet, the states are secular and emphasise religious pluralism. In many ways, to emphasise neutrality as regards religion has become important in Europe, especially in our time when there are growing numbers of Muslims and members of other faiths than Christianity. In addition, large sections say they do not belong to any religion, or have a faith. In Europe, therefore, the liberal opinion about religion is part of their states’ nation-building, in the same way that one particular religion, and denomination of it, was before. It is interesting to know that when North America was populated by Europeans from the 17th century, many who emigrated did so because of lack of religious freedom in Europe, at a time when religion was seen as a main unifying force. The New World was open to dissenters and also today, the USA prides itself on not having any state religion; yet, it is ‘culturally Christian’ and many Americans are active believers, more so than Europeans.
There are other cultural elements that bind people together in a country, including language and a common history and traditions, as well as ethnic variations. I believe a common local language, or languages, is important – and English has not yet quite become a lingua franca on a national level, the way it is internationally. Urdu is indeed important as part of nation-building in Pakistan, but other big and small local languages should also be respected, and it is generally important to learn in one’s mother tongue in the early school years. The importance of local languages and cultures, being proud of one’s own heritage, is essential, but still being members of the national culture.
That brings me to the role of national literature, which is often a wide variety of literature in several languages, even dialects in a country. In Pakistan, poetry and prose were important in developing patriotism and a ‘common soul’ leading up to Independence. There are several important names that can be mentioned, such as Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and others. Many would say that they were as influential as the politicians, and they contributed to formulating common values and philosophical foundations.
In our time, with print and electronic media, and social media, we realise that all communication media play important roles in nation-building. And so do sports and games, because it is not only the serious people, indeed the politicians and other leaders, that are important in the country’s democratic nation-building, with broad overall values and variations of specific definitions, in a big, diverse country like Pakistan.
Atle Hetland
The writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist with experience from university, diplomacy and development aid. He can be reached at atlehetland@yahoo.com