Pakistanis should support schools

Community members have to step up to help families who can’t afford education

Dr Muhammed Haris Shah says more funds are needed to build new classrooms, but also for teachers’ salaries. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

The limited capacity of community schools for Pakistani pupils is an issue that requires urgent attention. As The National reported yesterday, as many as 20,000 Pakistani children have no access to education because families cannot afford to enrol them in private schools.

There are 13 Pakistani community schools across the country but they can each accommodate an average of only 2,000 children, which means that they have to turn away hundreds of pupils at the start of every academic year. As there is no indication that the demand will decrease in coming years, the problem will not simply go away. While an online learning project supported by the Pakistani Association Dubai is a valuable initiative that will ensure children get some education, it can’t fully replace the experience of interacting with a human teacher in a bricks-and-mortar classroom. Clearly, more community schools are needed – but who is going to build and staff them?

First and foremost, the Pakistani community should play its part. As The National has argued before, those Pakistanis who have done well in this country could support non-profit schools that cater for families with low or modest incomes. The UAE is home to many Pakistani businesses and investors, particularly in property, and they should consider this as part of their corporate social responsibility activities.

The Pakistani government could also shoulder some responsibility. Pakistani expatriates are the second biggest remitters in the UAE. They send billions of dollars back home every year, and this money is helping their home country’s economy. Moreover, most Pakistanis will eventually return home with money earned – and skills learnt – in the UAE. Perhaps a small fee levied on their remittances could go a long way towards educating the next generation.

The key here is for Pakistanis to support each other . New classrooms and teachers are desperately needed, and they must be accessible to people on low incomes. Without urgent action, many more children will fall through the cracks.