Fauzia Shamim

Trends, issues and challenges in English language education in Pakistan

This paper aims to critically examine the trends, issues and challenges in policy and practice of English language education in Pakistan. This is done first by historically reviewing the English language education policies since Pakistans independence in 1947, looking particularly at policy objectives, implementation strategies and outcomes, and the rationale for policy change. Second, the practice of teaching English in varied instructional settings is described. It is found that implementation lags far behind the major policy change in 1989 for “democratising” English. Furthermore, the consequences of using English as the medium of instruction are discussed in the light of recent policy advisories about using English for teaching science and mathematics from Grade 6 onwards in all Pakistani schools. Other issues and challenges in implementing the policy of mass literacy in English are also highlighted. It is argued that while policy decisions are driven mainly by global change forces, strategic planning for implementation that is informed by local conditions and exigencies is necessary for successful policy implementation. Otherwise, recent policy changes in Pakistan may be in danger of leading to widespread illiteracy, rather than literacy, in general but particularly in English.

Informed consent in educational research in the South: tensions and accommodations

This paper describes some tensions faced by researchers working in countries in the South in following the international principle of informed consent, mainly developed by professional bodies or local ethics committees of various universities in the North. We discuss the issues around gaining informed consent, particularly in research environments in the South, and highlight the need for accommodations. The aim is to advance a case for hybridity in educational research – that is, developing some general ethical principles that can serve as guidelines for researchers to develop contextually appropriate ethical practices that do not compromise either the research participants or the rigour of their research enterprise. Finally, some strategies are presented to address the issues raised in regard to informed consent in varied research settings. While we draw on examples from research conducted mainly in Pakistan, the issues raised, the scenarios discussed and the interpretations presented are relevant to similar contexts elsewhere.

Language, identity and education on the Arabian peninsula: bilingual policies in a multilingual context

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