In 2012 Shahzaib Khan a 20-year-old student was shot dead by the son of a feudal because of a small argument. The criminal has still not been punished. There have been several cases like this one that shows social inequality. In a developing country like Pakistan, there is a gnawing gap between the wealthy and the poor Social inequality has an impact on all aspects of our lives. We learn about it in numerous ways on a daily basis, from our observation of people, homes, cars, neighborhoods, and news accounts of the rich and famous. Inequality in education is one of the biggest issues these days. The education of children depends on the social class of their parents. About 25 million children in Pakistan don’t get a chance to go to school because of their financial circumstances. High standard educational institutions are unaffordable for a common man while the condition of government schools is the worst. “I want to got to school because I want to become a Teacher. This way I would teach students for free and help them achieve their goals.”
These were the words of a girl when I volunteered to teach at a school in a village. Education helps to improve living standards and enhance the quality of life, and can, provide essential opportunities for all. Therefore it has become more important than ever. With the increasing gap between the rich and the poor and increased demand for educated labor, many of those who don’t have an opportunity to get education will not be able to improve their lifestyle. In many countries, the cost of education is another determinant for parents to decide whether to send their children to government schools, private schools or no schools. Many individuals are also denied acceptance into good schools because of the social and income gap. The wealthy are the only ones given favors and are the ones who could educate their children in the best schools and colleges. Moreover, the educational system for girls is of a much lower standard than the educational system for boys in Pakistan. One of the causes of this is due to traditional attitudes, where families don’t want their girls to attend school. Another disparity is the provision of education to the disabled children in the society.
Individuals with disabilities are often not given admission into good schools. a cousin of mine was not getting admission into any of the good educational institutes in the country because of his disability. There is a rural-urban divide in Pakistan which has caused social inequality. While the cities are developing fast on all major parameters, the villages remain backward and deprived of basic necessities. Reasons for inequality in education range from poor government policies to poor administration of education systems. Existing differences in education will lead to even bigger differences in the future. We should do something to erase the concept of social class and become united to fight against all the issues.
