Amidst a lack of meaningful reforms and sustained improvement, the sorry state of affairs at educational institutions in Pakistan paints a grim picture thereby causing the country to lag far behind other nations, losing its edge in the global competition, putting the economy at risk, and consigning the future generations to limited opportunities.

Here are a few shortcomings we should work to eradicate so as to improve our education system: accountability which is crucial to closing the achievement gap is no where insight in schools.

As there are noconsequences for underperforming schools, the status quo prevails and broad swaths of students – most of belonging to poor families – continue to slip through the cracks. This is unacceptable for a nation founded on the basis of ideology, and it’s a recipe for economic decline.

The public sector schools and colleges particularly prove to be chronically failing thus parents have the option to send their children somewhere else, while those from lower strata have no other alternative.

Likewise, the country lacks a nationwide movement to raise standards so that our students are better prepared for college or career and can contend with international country must make a top priority in order to build the foundations for future prosperity and quality of life.

When we protect kids, provide better schools, and prepare our future leaders, we create a better quality of life for our nation. And that’s the proper job of a government. We can help teachers put down roots, encourage literacy with our libraries and ensure safe campuses that are ideal for learning.

We can lead by bringing our com-munity together to enable teachers, parents and schools to focus on their highest goal: helping our children learn so as to make a positive impact and create a better future for the nation.

We have to invest in preschool programmes, quality childcare andcompetitors. Our classrooms have been virtually untouched by the technology revolution that has swept the rest of the world as smart deployment of technology could empower teachers, engage students, customize learning, and make schools more efficient.

However, with policies to take corrective measures for thwarting the aforesaid shortcomings could rectify the situation, as education has become an issue that every early literacy. One of the most effective ways we can improve academic success is preparing children to learn before they enter school.

We must offers a broad range of after-school recreational and enrichment programmes to benefit schools and students, as positive after-school activities help children do better in the classrooms and stay away from crime, drugs and alcohol.

At the government level, we should patronise schools that show improvement. We often point to what’s wrong in our schools. We need to do more to recognise what’s right. Similarly, parents should be encouraged to be active in their children’s education. The degree of a child’s success is directly related to parent involvement. So, we should encourage parents to get more involved in their children’s lives. We, at all levels, should support efforts to improve school facilities as a nation’s commitment to education can be judged by the quality of its schools.

The only way out we have is to beat the drum to strengthen public support for quality public education. We can use our influence with civic leaders, our fellow elected officials, businesses, community organisations and the media to ensure that education stays at the top of the public agenda, to celebrate success and to achieve results that benefit our students and community.

(The writer is an English teacher)