What are the rights implications of postcolonial Punjab s Englishmedium policy for learners in government schools in Pakistan? Nicholas Shaw 5 th International Conference on Language and Education: Sustainable Development through Multilingual Education 19-21 October 2016 Bangkok, Thailand
Introduction There is an important difference between language as a medium and subject of instruction English has retained its colonial position as a language of status and power Language and identity are complex issues in Pakistan The move towards English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is relatively recent
Postcolonial theory Problematizes the European Enlightenment The unequal relationship between the colonisers and colonised is maintained Local identities and epistemologies are disparaged and suppressed Postcolonialism insidiously reinforces itself The colonised cannot represent themselves (Spivak, 2006)
Postcolonial theory Postcolonialism seeks to expand awareness of our own and alternative knowledge systems: through the ethical imperative to work with the other, upholding the principles of mutuality, reciprocity, and equality (which means keeping one s own learned epistemic arrogance in check ) (Andreotti, 2011: 6)
Applying postcolonial theory Linguistic and educational apartheid (Shamim and Rahman in Coleman and Capstick, 2012: 16) Stakeholders reproduce the perceived importance of an English education Public school teachers and students struggle to represent themselves in English But postcolonialism alone may not explain all the challenges...and is predominantly a critical theory
Human rights theory Concerns the expression, recognition and protection of basic human needs Rights are rights in themselves, plural, universal, of high priority, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent There are rights to, in and through education Tomasevski s (2001: 13) 4-A scheme requires education to be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable
Human rights theory Rights-based approaches operationalize the concept of human rights by integrating the norms, standards and principles of international human rights into the entire process of development programming (UNICEF/UNESCO, 2007: 10)
Applying human rights theory Some perceive English as an economic right and a means of reducing social inequality Others claim EMI compromises children s rights to, in and through education But the invocation of human rights to support opposing positions may be confusing......and their definitive principles have been criticised
Conclusion Punjab s EMI policy challenges children s rights and identities There are competing political agendas and a lack of concern with indigenous languages More research needs to be conducted on the role of languages in education The education system needs to engage more sensitively with mother tongues and introduce second languages more supportively
Reflection and updates A much developed appreciation of the challenges facing children in multilingual, low-income countries with colonial legacies These concerns also affect children in low cost private schools Recent research conducted by the Government of Punjab recommends reviewing the English medium policy further
References Andreotti, V. (2011) Actionable Postcolonial Theory in Education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Coleman, H. and Capstick, T. (2012) Language in Education in Pakistan: Recommendations for Policy and Practice. London: British Council. Spivak, G. C. (2006) Can the Subaltern Speak?, in Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G. and Tiffin, H. (Eds), The Post-colonial Studies Reader, (Ch. 4, pp. 28-37). London: Routledge. Tomasevski, K. (2001) Human Rights Obligations: Making Education Available, Accessible, Acceptable and Adaptable. Right to Education Primers No. 3. Stockholm: SIDA. UNICEF/UNESCO (2007) A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education for All. New York: UNICEF/UNESCO.
Contact Nicholas Shaw Senior Training Consultant nicholas.shaw@britishcouncil.org.pk