A Sociological Analysis of Lack of Stakeholders Participation as a Major Construct of Low Quality Education in Pakistan

Abstract

Stakeholders participation is necessary for the smooth running of education sector as it perks up ownership, build consensus, mobilize the adequate resources and construct institutional capacity. Thus government officials, educational professionals, teachers, parents, local communities and students are the major stakeholders that can increase the quality and relevance of education. Cross sectional survey research design was used by the researcher to assemble the data from N=589 respondents. The researcher used multistage sampling technique to evaluate the relationship among the study variables. Data was analyzed by using SPSS software and One Way ANOVA test was applied to evaluate the difference between four means (n1=217 students, n2= 217 parents, n3=62 teachers and n4= 93 school administrators). The researcher instituted through this research that lack of stakeholders participation is the major underlying principle behind low quality education in Pakistan. Inadequate infrastructural development, cheating in examination, lack of proper management, inadequate commitment and motivation of teachers to their teaching profession as well as parental disinterest in educating their children are the salient factors that lower the participation of stakeholders in education sector of Pakistan. The researcher concluded that inadequate school environment (that do not follow the basic principles of orderliness, punctuality and discipline), lack of consciousness about the importance of quality education, derisory pre-service teachers training and improper knowledge of teachers about the subject matter are the foremost dynamics that have negative impact on enrollment rate of the students. Improvement in school administration, reformations in existing educational plans, adequate accountability system, curriculum reformations and increasing the quality of education are the major reformations that can increase the stakeholders participation in education sector of Pakistan.

Key words: Stakeholders, ownership, institutional capacity, government officials, administration, accountability