Linguapax
The Pakistan Discussion
For a while now the Language Policy and Planning list has been showing a variety of articles and discussions about Pakistan, and its language policies. Following the abundance of all the articles, here is a compilation of three of them, which all provide different insights into understanding the Pakistani situation regarding its languages, education, diversity and its socio-political development.
1) This brief look (link below) at the historical development of the Pakistani state and identity from the 1950s, right up until the end of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government in 1977 (by Nadeem F. Paracha) provides an enlightening look at the reasons for the state of the problematic cultural issues in Pakistan. The problematic aspects of the “One Unit” policy and the forced inclusion of Islam, are among the many topics discussed in this brief look at the construction of the identity of Pakistan or the “Pakistaniat”. While this take on it may be rather personal, the article is revealing and enlightenng nevertheless and a good opening chapter into understanding the current language, education and diversity related problems.
2) This article (link below) that was flagged in the Language Policy list showcases the current problems facing the Pakistani state in its language policies, pointing out some of the drawbacks of teaching in an official language (Urdu) that is only spoken by 7% of the population with 70 other languages to be considered which are also spoken in Pakistan. The article was written following a report published by the British Council, Teaching and Learning in Pakistan: The Role of Language in Education. The article on the Guardian weekly also provides useful statistical data showing more specific aspects of the educational problems.
3) Finally, here is a look (link below) at the problematic “Non Sequitur” in tackling the difficulties faced in drafting effective and fair language policies to improve the educational system in Pakistan. This is written by the Country Director, David Martin, from the British Council in Pakistan. His concentration is on the facts that are often overlooked when forming policy initiatives. These include, the poverty of students, security, and linguistic barriers among the parents. While the author recognises the importance of the English language for Pakistanis he concludes that it is indeed not a panacea and does not need to be a barrier to improving education.
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Alexander Sipahioglu, LINGUAPAX
Més informació
1) The Historical Perspective on Pakistan by Nadeem F. Paracha at dawn-blog.com
2) The Guardian Article on the Pakistani Language Crisis