New trends’ impact on public schools

Lots of our public schools are struggling, stressed by filled to capacity classrooms, textbook scarcity, pathetic facilities, and a lack of skilled teachers. At some high schools, just about one third of seniors are experienced. Then there is the enormous challenge of teaching so many children.

“Education is a significant part of a livable society. The quality of schools is often one of the main factors that decide where a family, particularly one with children, will choose to live. The decline of many schools in older parts of our city is often cited as one of the major reasons for families to move to the suburbs,” says Muhammad Taqi from Kali Tanki Road.

“At the same time, over the past decades schools have grown in size and have lost their role as community centres. Modern trends in the size and location of public schools have led families away from neighborhood schools and toward large schools often located along busy streets on the suburban edge, almost a new phenomenon,” says Shehzad Reza from Chandni Chowk.

“While ideas promoting larger schools took hold some decades ago, trends toward schools in isolated, disconnected locales on the urban fringe have been pushed by department of education policies that set minimum building standards for schools. Their policies often dramatically favour new school construction over preservation of older facilities,” adds Shehzad.

“Lost in this evolution has been students’ ability to walk or bicycle to school.

The newer schools are typically located farther from community centres, with busing or driving seen as the sole means of transportation. Also lost is the opportunity for schools to anchor neighbourhoods and for their playing fields and other facilities to be used in off hours by community members. At risk is the preservation of historic buildings that give any community a sense of place and history,” laments Saman Hasan from Saidpur Road.

Professor Haamid Hussain from Asghar Mall says: “Even the quality of education hangs in the balance. Experience has shown that the trend toward larger schools has been counterproductive. Despite claims to the contrary, students perform better in smaller schools where they can more easily develop relationships with faculty and classmates.”

“A study on school size reveals that small schools are better and safer. Kids in small schools have higher attendance rate and are more likely to adjust.

Significantly, the impact of poverty on school performance is appreciably reduced when children attend small schools. The bigger the school, the more likely poor students are to be sidelined. Meanwhile, supposed efficiencies and benefits of larger schools, a more diverse curriculum, better facilities, or increased operating costs, don’t always materialize,” says Nazia Hasan working in an NGO for promoting education.

“At the same time, the number of schools has not kept pace with population growth. The number of elementary and secondary schools decreased despite a rise in population. In the last decade alone, the number of high schools with more than 1,000 students doubled. Two-fifths of the secondary schools now enrol more than 1,500 students, while enrolments of more than this number are common,” adds Nazia.

Sajjad Haider, an educationist, says: “Along with a  smaller schools drive efforts must be made to create schools that are neighbourhood anchors and centres of activity, where the school yards and auditoriums can be used by the community etc. Such efforts can be successful if the school and district administration coordinate. Locating schools in central locations also needs their attention.”

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/156138-New-trends-impact-on-public-schools