Why It is Difficult for Pakistani Students to Manage Abroad Education

News & Events

Friday — February 24, 2017

By:Study Abroad

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If you are to ask a student if he would like to study abroad in a foreign university, his most definite answer will be YES. After all it is once in a life time experience to live in a totally strange land far from your home and getting to know their culture, lifestyle and language and values. When you compare Pakistani education to international scopes, you will know that Pakistan is very much left behind the world in all latest progress. If Pakistani students can go to a foreign country and learn their educational progress and then use that knowledge for the development of Pakistan, it can get Pakistan into the race of civilization and technology with the whole world. So, why is it not done yet?

Many Pakistani students go abroad for education but for that they have to spend a great deal of resources. After you spend a great amount of money and energy, you expect something worth in return. These students usually don’t come back to Pakistan again and permanently settle there. Some who do come back; don’t take much effort as they have to go against the system. Other students who really wish to make a change and are enthusiast enough to make Pakistan a better country, never get the chance to do so. The reason why they don’t get any chance is also due to our so called hardworking government for the developing country.

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In this article today I am discussing the important problem of students whose all potential go to waste and instead of becoming an asset, they oppositely become a liability. How government has been successful by far in assuring that no one in Pakistan is educated and innovative to go against them. Pakistan may be a developing country but it is not that poor that it cannot even provide its young generation the basic right of quality education. First they have not established any educational institute that can compete international levels and on top of that there are very rare and limited opportunities to go abroad for education.

Pakistan’s top ranked university is ranked in the list of 600 – 700 for quality education. I remember once Vice Chancellor of my university proudly said that our university is ranked among 600 – 700 by Times Higher Education world university ranking. I did not know if it was a moment of proud or embarrassment. What is worse that we are literally degraded in the field of education on global level or because we are proud of it. Instead of looking up to United Kingdom and United States, we should be rivaling them in education. If this is how even the most educated and qualified scholars of Pakistan think then this is really a moment of worry for us Pakistanis.

Pakistan is a big strong independent unique country that has no shortage of resources and potential, all we need is to efficiently utilize it. For that first we have to come out of our inferiority complex then identify our weak points and resolve them. Everyone is well aware of the importance of education. If we nurture our education system, our country will start to grow. Following are some of the most basic reasons why it is difficult for Pakistani students to manage abroad education.

Low Quality Education:

At least this is no secret that Pakistan has one of the worst quality of education. In the latest QS ranking of higher education system 50 countries were included. Of these 50 countries was ranked the last 50^th for its higher education.

On the other hand, its neighbor country India was ranked 24^th better than Russia, Norway and Turkey. In Pakistan people even the most educated, don’t know the real purpose and goal of education. Everyone in Pakistan thinks and education is for job. If you are well educated, you will get easy and high paid job.

Kids are started to go to school before they even start talking. Their whole student life they are only given one goal that is to score as high in exams as you can. No one knows and asks why we are doing this, what will we get from this but they just simply go with flow. Those who against this system are declared dumb wicked kids. When students are in their teenage they are told that this education is for their job. Job is for money.

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During all this, students are not actually educated but they are trained. Their knowledge is kept limited and no innovative minds are built. This way it is difficult for Pakistani students to compete on international levels and win scholarships or seats in universities. Those who manage to make it to a foreign country’s university have to work very hard to survive there. Fearing these tough circumstances, students are really discouraged to go abroad.

Poor Economy:

Pakistani is 6^th biggest country by population and by area it is 35^th biggest country. With such enormous and

congested population, Pakistan’s economy is also very weak and ranked 44^th. Pakistan’s currency, Rupee, is so little that international 1 dollar is equal to about 110 rupees. In such conditions even the richest in Pakistan have to live a humble life in foreign developed countries. It is very difficult to manage expenses and your currency is reduced by over 100% of its size.

When Pakistani students do cost analysis of foreign university fees, it is surprisingly too overpriced. On top of that, moving to such country then the cost of international flights and all the rents, food transportation is way out of any average Pakistanis league. The monthly salary of 12 thousand rupees in Pakistan can only get a cup of coffee in a developed foreign country. It makes very difficult for Pakistani to manage abroad education.

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Fewer Scholarships:

There are not many scholarships or grants offered by government of Pakistan for deserving students. There are international scholarships but as discussed above it can be pretty difficult for Pakistani students to win in those because of its poor quality of education. If we had more scholarship opportunities then more Pakistanis would have been able to achieve their dream of studying abroad and do something in return for Pakistan. Current scholarships are not enough in numbers and in funding to afford complete expenses of talented Pakistani student’s foreign education. This lack of opportunities makes it more difficult for Pakistani students to manage abroad education.