Teaching English as a subject in the government schools in Balochistan: A bottom-up analysis

Abstract

Language in education policies in Pakistan have been historically inconsistent. The inconsistency is evident the fact that at least 22 major reports and policy documents have been issued since 1947. This paper aims to illustrate a major factor that has kept language in education policies from sustainability and effective implementation, is the centralization and top-down policymaking system in Pakistan. In top-down policies, the policy makers neither involve the actual end-users and implementers such as teachers and students in the policymaking processes, nor do they address their concerns with regard to policies. In this backdrop, this study conducts a bottom-up analysis drawing on government school teachers’ views to examine how the policy of introducing English at the primary level stands. A qualitative study, which involved in-depth interviews and classroom observations, was conducted in three government schools in Quetta city. Our findings suggest that the policy is yet to be fully implemented because the government did not invest in the capacity building of the English teachers. We conclude that policies fail to yield desired outcomes because the policy makers appear to be detached from the users. They seem to overlook the readiness level of the teachers, and ignore the institutional capacities of the schools where the same policies are implemented. Towards the end, we propose for a dynamic and inclusive policy making approach that involves a multi-leveled consultation between policy designers, academic researchers, and policy implementers.