English-Teaching Institutions in Pakistan

Abstract

English is taught in several institutions in Pakistan. It is a medium of instruction in elitist, highly expensive, private schools as well as cadet colleges indirectly controlled and partly subsidised by the state. It is taught as a subject in the vernacular-medium, state-controlled schools where ordinary Pakistanis study. It is also taught, though to very few children, in the Islamic seminaries (madrassas). As it is the language of lucrative and powerful jobs, it is much in demand. Thus, a large number of private schools, charging high fees, have come up in all parts of Pakistani cities and towns. At the moment English is an elitist preserve and a stumbling block for all other Pakistanis. However, it is also the means of bringing a person into contact with the outside world and hence with liberal-humanist, democratic values. Thus, exposure to English might counteract the growing religious and cultural intolerance in Pakistan. It is suggested that English should no longer be a medium of instruction for the elite but it should be taught to all children so that it is spread out widely and evenly all over Pakistan. English will then function as an empowering device and a liberalising influence in the country.

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